Festivities in Focus | Celebrants dance, reflect through Kwanzaa

A NAAM gathering on the fourth day of the secular pan-African holiday honored the principle of Ujamma, or cooperative economics.

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By Amanda Snyder / Crosscut.com

The joy of celebrating Kwanzaa, the African American and Pan-African holiday, was experienced through a screen the past two years as the pandemic brought in-person events to a halt. Community outreach in those years grew interest for the Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa events and made them a major success. But this year’s participants at Washington Hall agree nothing compares to being together again in person.

Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, academic dean of Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus, joins African drumming and dancing with ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. During the event, Tate Arunga spoke about the importance of not selling yourself short and believing in yourself to be an economically successful individual. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, academic dean of Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus, joins African drumming and dancing with ADEFUA Cultural Education …

Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, academic dean of Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus, joins African drumming and dancing with ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration. During the event, Tate Arunga spoke about the importance of not selling yourself short and believing in yourself to be an economically successful individual. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

“Kwanzaa is about renewal. It's about reset. It's about recharge. It's about refocus. It's about re-evaluation, “ LaNesha DeBardelaben, president and CEO of the Northwest African American Museum, shared with the crowd last week. “It's a time of building up. It's a time of coming together. It's a time of gifting our very best to one another.”

During the week of Kwanzaa, December 26 to January 1, families and communities gather to celebrate one another. They share a meal, honor their ancestors and celebrate African and African American culture.

Each day, celebrants light a candle to highlight a principle of the day, and give meaning to it through art and activities such as African drumming, dancing and reciting poetry, spoken-word performance and writings of great Black philosophers and writers, as well as community-building activities.

Drummers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, perform at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Drummers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, perform at Northwest African American Museum’s …

Drummers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, perform at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

The audience joins African drumming and dancing with ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
The audience joins African drumming and dancing with ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, at Northwest …

The audience joins African drumming and dancing. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

Joyous drumming and dancing rang out at the start of the evening as audience members joined in with shy dance moves. The crowd embraced the celebration with laughter and smiles –  all happy to be in each other’s presence again with mouthwatering food, captivating performances and a welcoming community.

Kbibii Monié dances to African drumming and dancing during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. During the event, Monié recited the libation statement called “Tamshi la Tambiko,” during which time water from the communal cup is poured out in memory of loved ones who have passed away. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Kbibii Monié dances to African drumming and dancing during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, …

Kbibii Monié dances to African drumming and dancing during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration. During the event, Monié recited the libation statement called “Tamshi la Tambiko,” during which time water from the communal cup is poured out in memory of loved ones who have passed away. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

A table is decorated with the symbols of Kwanzaa such as fruit to represent the harvest, during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
A table is decorated with the symbols of Kwanzaa such as fruit to represent the harvest, during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa …

A table is decorated with the symbols of Kwanzaa such as fruit to represent the harvest, during Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

Kbibii Monié recites the libation statement called “Tamshi la Tambiko,” during which time water from the communal cup is poured out in memory of loved ones who have passed away, at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration in Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Kbibii Monié recites the libation statement called “Tamshi la Tambiko,” during which time water from the communal cup is poured out in memory of …

Kbibii Monié recites the libation statement called “Tamshi la Tambiko,” during which time water from the communal cup is poured out in memory of loved ones who have passed away. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

For Jason Turner, musical director of the African American Cultural Ensemble choir, one of his favorite parts is seeing the African culture and Black community celebrated and being able to perform in front of an audience. The choir, however, birthed during the pandemic, has only recently started to perform in person.

“The African dance and the African drums … take us back to our roots and who we are as Black people,” Turner said. “We've been stuck in COVID for such a long time that people are like, hey, hurray, we get to actually see a real live performance.”

The audience claps after drummers and dancers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop finish performing at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
The audience claps after drummers and dancers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop finish performing at Northwest African American Museum’s …

The audience claps after drummers and dancers from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop finish performing. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

Kwanzaa was established in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, activist, author and professor of Africana studies at California State University. The holiday was created amid the Black cultural art renaissance of the 1960s, according to DeBardelaben.

“This was the era when Black museums were being established across the country. There was a renaissance of Black cultural expression, Black poetry, Black dance, like music and Black arts,” DeBardelaben said. “This cultural holiday was created by someone who wanted to bring people of African descent in the United States together for cultural affirmation, and for cultural celebration.”

Kenya Leger, African American cultural ensemble’s conductor, leads the group during the Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Kenya Leger, African American cultural ensemble’s conductor, leads the group during the Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. …

Kenya Leger, African American cultural ensemble’s conductor, leads the group during the Kwanzaa celebration. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

NAAM’s African American Cultural Ensemble sings during the Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
NAAM’s African American Cultural Ensemble sings during the Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda …

NAAM’s African American Cultural Ensemble sings during the Kwanzaa celebration. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

Musicians from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, perform at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa celebration at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
Musicians from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop, which teaches African drumming and dancing, perform at Northwest African American Museum’s …

Musicians from ADEFUA Cultural Education Workshop perform. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

Kwanzaa celebrations in homes, schools and communities have grown over the past few decades. Instead of centering on prayer and religious tradition, Kwanzaa is a secular holiday and focuses on African American culture, community and reflection.

This year the museum’s event was held on the fourth day of Kwanzaa, recognizing the principle of Ujamaa, or Cooperative Economics. The event highlighted the importance of buying from and supporting Black businesses.

“We gathered tonight to remember the legacy of those Black entrepreneurs locally, regionally, nationally, internationally,” DeBardelaben said to about a hundred people. “To those creators who produced something that would make life better for all of us.”

The audience listens to spoken word artist Tia Naché perform at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa event at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
The audience listens to spoken word artist Tia Naché perform at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa event at Washington Hall on Thursday, …

The audience listens to spoken word artist Tia Naché perform. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

The other six principles of Kwanzaa, also in Swahili, include: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith.) Celebrants spend each day of the festival reflecting on one principle. They also mark each day with the lighting of the Kinara, a seven-branched candelabra.

“I would like to see people celebrate and live by the seven principles,” Kbibii Monié said as she settled in before the start of the event. “Because if people, period, live by the seven principles, [we’d] have a better life on this planet.”

The audience claps as spoken word artist Tia Naché finishes her performance at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa event at Washington Hall on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)
The audience claps as spoken word artist Tia Naché finishes her performance at Northwest African American Museum’s Kwanzaa event at Washington …

The audience claps as spoken word artist Tia Naché finishes her performance. (Amanda Snyder/Crosscut)

This photo essay is part of an ongoing series on holiday celebrations. If you have a celebration you would like Crosscut to attend, please let us know by emailing amanda.snyder@crosscut.com


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  • BardsEyeNews

    Kwanzaa: What they DON’T want you to know https://youtu.be/mFaEhiNWXZc

    Tuesday, January 3, 2023 Report this