The Council also voted to declare July 1, 2023 as Somali Independence Day. Somalia’s Independence Day is a national holiday recognised yearly in Somalia and the diaspora abroad to commemorate a key milestone and to symbolise the country’s sovereignty and self-determination.
The Somali people have a rich and lively history that is highlighted by their battle for independence and the foundation of the Somali Republic, which was created on July 1, 1960, as a union of the Trust Territories of Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland.
The Somali community in Boston is woven into the city’s fabric, with several community organisations, businesses, and cultural centres scattered throughout. Somali Americans, like many other immigrant groups before them, sought refuge in Boston to escape conflict and persecution, to find opportunity, and to better their own and their children’s lives.
The Somali community and their outstanding contributions to Boston are recognised by the Council.