Kwanzaa Celebration

A week ago today, I witnessed my first Kwanzaa celebration here at Freedom Regional Library. The program began at 7pm--to give you an idea of how successful everything was, some of our staff did not leave the library until 10:30! I stayed until 9:30, and I was just hanging out.

I found the entire celebration enjoyable. There was a nice mix of speaking and dancing. Ahmad Daniels and Charles Jones provided a wealth of cultural and historical context for the holiday, including personal anecdotes. I learned a great deal, not just about Kwanzaa, but of unfamiliar perspectives on civil rights history.

Dancers from the YMCA and Second Calvary performed during the celebration, and everyone clapped along to the thundering beat of drums. Trina Brown, sister of our own Dot Siler, blessed us all with her poetry and singing. When the festivities were concluded, we enjoyed some excellent soul food provided by Mert's Heart & Soul Restaurant, accompanied by Starbucks coffee. I'm impressed with how well Mert's can prepare greens--no easy task.

It was the first Kwanzaa for many of us. We got to see what the holiday was about, and have some fun in the process.

Johnny Davis