Kwanza Celebrated at White Plains Slater Center
The Kwanzaa White Plains Collaborative held a Kwanza celebration at the Thomas H. Slater Center on Monday, Dec. 29.
The program included traditional Drumming by Kofi and the Sankofa Dance and Drum Ensemble and contributions by White Plains Youth Bureau, Thomas H. Slater Center Step Up Girls, White Plains High School Steppers, and H.I.P. H.O.P.
Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou and Nelson Mandela were remembered ancestors.
Dr. Oscar N. Graves, a local physician who helped young African American and Latino men was also remembered. He had passed only six months ago.
Mack Carter, Executive Director, White Plains Housing Authority and Heather Miller, Executive Director, Thomas H. Slater Center spoke about this year’s honorees: Dr. Evelyn Eusebe-Carter, FACOG; Erwin Gilliam, Erwin’s Barber Shop; Mayo Bartlett, Esq.; and Theodore Lee, Lee’s Funeral Home.
The Kinara was lit, each of the seven candles representing a Kwanzaa principle and traditionally lit each day with that principle in mind.
After the entertainment a Karamu Feast was provided free of charge by ShopRite.
Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration that honors African heritage and is observed from December 26 to January 1.
Kwanzaa has seven core principles called Nguzo Saba. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966. Each year one of the seven principles is a focus of the celebration.
Umoja, unity, represents the family, community, nation and race. Kujichagulia, self-determination, is about defining oneself and speaking for oneself. Ujima, collective work and responsibility, is about building and maintaining community. Ujamaa, cooperative economics, is about building and maintaining businesses and to profit from them together. Nia, purpose, addresses the building of community as a collective vocation. Kuumba, creativity, reminds one to always do as much as one can do for community. Imani, faith, is about believing in our people, parents, teachers and leaders.
This year principle four, Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) is the focus, which is why local businesses were honored.
The Kwanzaa White Plains Collaborative is made up of a number of organizations in the community, including Community Unitarian Church of White Plains, Thomas H. Slater Center, White Plains Housing Authority, White Plains Housing Authority Residents Council, White Plains Youth Bureau, YWCA of White Plains, White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Committee and Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Library.
