Global celebration, local interpretation
Staten Island Advance
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
 For many people of African-American descent, December means more
than trimming a Christmas tree or singing carols. It's also a time
for a unique celebration geared toward the African-American
community: Kwanzaa.
"Kwanzaa has become one of the most important celebrations for the
black community and for others to get to know the tradition of the
black community much better," said Charles Thomas, a professor in
the Performing and Creative Arts Department at the College of Staten
Island, and founder and organizer of the school's Kwanzaa program.
Thomas keeps Kwanzaa thriving on Staten Island by organizing an
annual celebration at CSI. This year's program, "Kwanzaa 2003," will
be held Friday at 7 p.m. in the Willowbrook school's Center for the
Arts.
The event will include a cast of many characters dressed in
traditional African clothing, and will pay homage to African
ancestors through song, dance, poetry, music and more.
Among the special guests scheduled to appear is Evelyn Jenkins Gunn,
an award-winning, national board-certified teacher and a Carnegie
scholar.
Also attending the event will be Dee Dixon, a community activist and
stage and film actress; Laverne Williams, a vocalist who has toured
Europe; Salieu Suso, a choral player from West Africa, and drummer
Hakim Bilal Ali.
Along with many students, also participating in the celebration will
be belly dancers and "The Kwanzaa Lady," Janet Robinson, a
consultant for the program, who will explain the Kwanzaa table.
There also will be a Kwanzaa feast table available for the public.
"People should come to see it, because it is a global celebration
and experience, and it makes for a better understanding,
appreciation and love of cultures, especially during this time of
wars and misunderstandings," Thomas said. "Art is always the
universal language."
To manifest the spirit of the program, the public is invited to
attend the event in African-inspired dress.
Kwanzaa, which runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, was designed for
African and African-American people to honor and celebrate their
contributions and heritage, as well as recognize those ancestors
whose work made their advancement possible.
The holiday is built around Nguzo Saba, a system of seven principles
designed to assist African-Americans in reconstructing their lives
within a framework focused on honoring their culture. The principles
are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima
(collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative
economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumbia (creativity), and Imani (faith).
The roots of Kwanzaa are found in African agricultural harvest
festivals. The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili "matunda ya
kwanza," which means "first fruits of the harvest."
Admission to Friday's celebration is free. For more information,
call (718) 982-ARTS.
by Kiawana Rich
Reprinted here with permission from the
Visit the Official Kwanzaa Web site:
www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org
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