Yadesa Bojia, who was born in Ambo, Ethiopia, has provided his services as a designer and events coordinator to a new class of ambitious Ethiopian restaurateurs.

Yadesa Bojia, who was born in Ambo, Ethiopia, has provided his services as a designer and events coordinator to a new class of ambitious Ethiopian restaurateurs. JENNIFER RICHARD

Here is one connection between Seattle and former Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi: Yadesa Bojia. In 2009, the Ethiopian-born graphic designer was watching Larry King Live when Qaddafi appeared on screen. He was in New York City for a conference at the United Nations, and had just made headlines for delivering a 100-minute speech to the General Assembly in which he demanded, among other things, that the West pay Africa $7.7 trillion for all the misery and economic devastation caused by colonialism. His allotted time was 15 minutes. Larry King was now interviewing him, and Bojia noticed something he could not believe—behind Qaddafi was a flag representing African unity, designed by him…

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...