Nairobi, California, USA?

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Did you know that back in the United States in the 60s a small city in California launched a campaign to change its name to Nairobi? 50 years ago East Palo Alto was home to lots of African American families - they made up 80% of the city's residents. It was a time of a surge in interest in African American history and culture. In East Palo Alto a group of community leaders set in motion a plan to change the name of the city to Nairobi. They didn't succeed but along the way they set up a Nairobi high school, a Nairobi primary school, a Nairobi co-op and a Nairobi shopping mall. Kenyan journalist Dickens Onditi Olewe went to the meet the people behind the plan. Image courtesy of the Palo Alto Historical Association