The Village of Wellington will host its first Kwanzaa Celebration and Virtual Cultural Experience to bring recognition and awareness of Kwanzaa from Saturday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Jan. 1. This celebration of life, family, community and culture is a partnership between Freedom Fighters 4 Justice and the Village of Wellington.
Wellington invites residents to tune to WellingtonTV (Comcast 18, AT&T Uverse 99) and visit www.wellingtonfl.gov/kwanzaa beginning on Dec. 26 to view pre-recorded videos about the culture significance of Kwanzaa.
Community members and leaders from all walks of life will come together in celebration of African-American culture and traditions. The village will also share the videos via social media.
Genee Tinsley, founder of Freedom Fighters 4 Justice, will provide an overview of Kwanzaa, including information on the daily Kinara lighting:
Day 1: Unity (Umoja)
Day 2: Self Determination (Kujichagulia)
Day 3: Collective Work & Responsibility (Ujima)
Day 4: Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
Day 5: Purpose (Nia)
Day 6: Creativity (Kuumba)
Day 7: Faith (Imani)
There will be special performances by local musicians and much more.
For more information on performers, vendors and literature featured in the celebration, visit the Freedom Fighters 4 Justice web site at www.4freedom4justice.org.
Wellington residents are also invited to stop by the Kinara display at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd) throughout December.
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, culminating in gift-giving and a feast of faith, called Karamu Ya Imani. It was created by Maulana Karenga and first celebrated in 1966.
The name Kwanzaa is derived from “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading and a large traditional meal.
