Photo by Jessica Thomas
Annual Yellow Springs Kwanzaa celebration set
- Published: December 18, 2024
The annual community Kwanzaa celebration will be Saturday, Dec. 28, beginning at 6 p.m., in the John Bryan Community Center gymnasium.
Basim Blunt will return as host, and will guide those in attendance through lighting the Kwanzaa candles, which represent the seven Kwanzaa principles. The program will also include spoken word and musical performances and activities for children. A potluck meal will follow the program.
Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Ph.D., Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African annual commemoration that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. The seven principles that form its core, and are assigned to each day between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent. These principles are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith). Kwanzaa gets its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” and is rooted in first fruit celebrations found in cultures throughout Africa in ancient and modern times.
To make a contribution to support the Yellow Springs Kwanzaa celebration, go online to the365projectys.org, select the “donate” button, and then click on the “YS Kwanzaa” button. For more information, email the365projectys@gmail.com.
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