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Kwanzaa Celebration 2012-13

7 Days of Affirmation!

Kwanzaa is an African American holiday celebrated from December 26 through January 1st. It is based on the agricultural celebration of Africa called "the first fruits" celebrations, which celebrate the times of harvest, gathering, reverence, commemoration of the past, recommitment to cultural ideals and celebration of the good.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, December 26
Principle: Umoja - Unity

Thursday, December 27
Principle: Kujichagulia -

Self Determination

 

Sponsors: Winston-Salem Urban League and Triad Cultural Arts
Location: Urban League Bldg,
201 W. 5th Street, Winston-Salem, NC
Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 336-725-5614
Opening Ceremony for the Kwanzaa Celebration! Enjoy art, music, and dance as you celebrate the Kwanzaa principle of Unity.
Honoree: Senator Elect Earline Parmon

Sponsor: Victory In Life
Location: Sprague Recreation Center
1350 E. Sprague Street, Winston-Salem
Time: 6:00 pm Contact: 336-473-2082
Symbolic name changing ceremony will be performed.
Honorees: Sharon Burns and The Healing Force

Friday, December 28

Principle: Ujima –

Collective Works and Responsibility

 

Saturday, December 29

Principle: Ujamaa –

Cooperative Economics

Sponsor: The Whole Village

Location: Emmanuel Baptist Church

Shalimar Drive, Winston-Salem, NC

Time: 6:30 pm

Contact: 336-252-204-7487

Description: “One Night With The Kings & Queens” - A Kwanzaa Banquet Free tickets are required. Up to four tickets per person can be reserved by calling 336-252-204-7487.

Honorees: Effranguan Muhammad and TeNisha Fields

Sponsor: Carl Russell Recreation Center

Location: Carl Russell Recreation Center

3521 Carver Road, Winston-Salem, NC

Time: 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm     

Contact: 336-727-2580

Description: African American businesses and vendors will be showcased. 

Honorees: Scott Cares Foundation and Horace Fulton's Sound In Action

Sunday, December 30

 Principle: Nia - Purpose 

 

Monday, December 31

Principle: Kuumba - Creativity

Sponsor: Grace Presbyterian Church

Location: Grace Presbyterian Church

3901 Carver School Road,

Winston-Salem

Time: 6:00 pm

Contact: 336-722-4399, 767-7530

Description: Featuring the Otesha Creative Arts Ensemble, a premiere African Dance Company.

Honoree: Rudolph Boone, Sr. and William E. Shouse

 

Sponsors: NC Black Repertory Theatre Company  (NCBR) and the Forsyth County Public Library

Location: Arts Council Theatre

610 Coliseum Drive, Winston-Salem

Time: 1:00 pm   

Contact: 336-703-2953

Description: Performance by the NCBR Teen Theatre and the Healing Force

Honoree: Dr. Felecia Piggott Long

 

Tuesday, January 1

Principle: Imani - Faith

Sponsor: Alpha and Omega Church of Faith

Location: 1445 N Gray Ave, Winston-Salem

Time: 4:00 pm

Contact: 336 -748-4787

Description: The Healing Force and the Alpha and Omega Youth will close out the Kwanzaa celebration with performances and messages to take us into the New Year.

Honoree: Bishop John and First Lady Deloris Huntley

 

 


Kwanzaa was created out of the philosophy of Kawaida, which is a cultural nationalist philosophy that argues that the key challenge in black peoples' lives is the challenge of culture, and that what Africans must do is to discover and bring forth the best of their culture, both ancient and current, and use it as a foundation to bring into being models of human excellence and possibilities to enrich and expand our lives. It was created in the midst of our struggles of liberation in the 1960's and was part of our organization US" efforts to create, recreate and circulate African culture as an aid to building community, enriching black consciousness, and reaffirming the value of culture grounding for life and struggle.


Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions of people of African descent through out the world African community. As a cultural holiday, Africans practice it from all religions, traditions, all classes, all ages and generations, and all political persuasions on the common ground of their African ness in all its historical and cultural diversity and unity.

-Maulana Karenga
"Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
"

 

 

The History of the Kwanzaa Celebration in the Triad

Kwanzaa Celebrations started in 1977

Rachel and Duane Jackson of Winston-Salem had friends in Greensboro, NC, Barbara Ferguson Kamara and her husband Musa, a native of Sierra Leone, Africa. They had been celebrating Kwanzaa with a Pan African Organization affiliated with A&T State University each year...The Jackson's were invited to attend as their guest for 3 years...It was an awesome and wonderful cultural experience, held at the East White Oak Community Center in east Greensboro. The Jackson's were very active in the programs at the East Winston Branch library...Their main focus was on how to increase the circulation of books and developing a tutorial/after school program for students K-12 grade. They presented the idea of celebrating Kwanzaa to the East Winston Friends of the Library, and the group decided to sponsor the celebration. The branch head and staff embraced the idea of Kwanzaa,  and the principle, Kuumba (Creativity) was always presented there as an annual event....Branch heads and library staff involved in the early years were: Margaret Allen, Dottie Butler, Jane Steele, Barbara Anderson, Pat Wright Stepney, Shirley Hairston Hollaway, Renee Brown Andrews, Tim Jackson.   Sylvia Sprinkle Hamlin, then the head of Children's Outreach Program, pushed for the celebration to become an official part of the library's program......... Some other folk involved in implementing and supporting Kwanzaa were people like,  J. C. Simpson- chair of the Friends group, Louise Wilson- ESR director, Mrs. M. Earl F. Benson- tutorial coordinator, Maize Woodruff- library board, Bill Jackson- a poet and rapper, Santana- a photographer, Joseph and Gail Anderson- The Healing Force, Burning Spear- Reggae Band, Amattullah Saleem, and Hashim Salih-Otesha Dancers.


  The City-wide Kwanzaa observance at seven different settings came about as a result of the collaboration between the Kemet School of Knowledge of Emmanuel Baptist Church and parties around the city who were willing to participate. Felecia Piggott McMillan went to solicit participants who opened their homes, centers and churches in 1989-1990. Those participants included Ernie and Elaine Pitt, Rev. Dr. John Mendez, Rev. Dr. Carlton Eversley, Rev. Willard Bass, and Dianna Bass, Benjamin Piggott, Felecia Piggott McMillan and family, the W-S Urban League with Dr. D. Smith, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, The Forsyth Public Library, Grace Presbyterian Church and others. The city-wide concept became a living organism involving more and more organizations and participant's. The City-Wide Kwanzaa committee was later chaired by Rutherford Moorman, of the East Winston CDC/Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods. Luci Vaughn was the co-chair. The meetings were held at the Winston Lake YMCA. The committee included, among others, Renee Andrews, Emma Shouse, Cheryl Harry, and Dana Suggs, who introduced her own personal designed Kwanzaa pins. The Arts Council provided a grant to committee to produce the night of Kumbaa that was held at the Winston Lake YMCA. Renee Andrews took on the unofficial title of convener of the city-wide committee and pulled everyone together each year. Under her leadership, Triad Cultural Arts, Inc was approached in 2007 to take on the official role of convener of the City-Wide Kwanzaa Committee.


 (This history is a living organism and will continue to expand.  If you have history that needs to be include please email: charry@triadculturalarts.org    If you lose your history, you lose your power)

 

 

 

 

serving Winston-salem - Greensboro - high point, north Carolina

for more information: info@triadculturalarts.org 

Phone: 336-757-8556