Lois Fernandez

Lois Fernandez (1936 – August 13, 2017) was a political and cultural activist, best known for founding the Odunde Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The festival celebrates African and African-American heritage. It has continued for more than forty years, expanding from one block long to a dozen, and drawing as many as 500,000 people to South Philadelphia.

Fernandez' contributions were publicly applauded in the 2000 ''Congressional record: proceedings and debates of the Congress'' by the Hon. Robert A. Brady. She was publicly recognized during Women's History Month, March 2009, by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. Her memoir ''Recollections (part one)'' was published in 2016. Provided by Wikipedia