Jessica Smith, with Dr. Maulana Karenga, founder of Kwanzaa and a guest .
Across the DC metro area, plans to honor African American families, culture and community are underway as the Kwanzaa holiday arrives the day after Christmas. Traditionally, the seven-day celebration, founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, includes practices such as a candle-lighting ceremony, a feast, gift-giving and observance of seven principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith).
Dressed in afrocentric garb at the age of 8 years old, Jessica Smith recalls her first Kwanzaa experience as a Jack and Jill member in Prince George’s County, Md. “I remember everything being in red, black and green; I remember lighting the Kwanzaa candles; I remember there being drumming and African dancing; I remember there being a Karamu feast, and I remember doing lots of crafts and songs.”
For the past 15 years, Smith has taught Kwanzaa in various formats—a camp, play, dinner theater and more. In 2010, she founded Culture Kingdom Kids based on her event planning around the holiday. One of her main goals in business is to demystify misconceptions around Kwanzaa.
“My favorite people are the people who are skeptical about Kwanzaa because it’s like a challenge for me,” she says. Misconceptions Smith hears most often are that Kwanzaa isn’t a real holiday because it hasn’t been around long enough; Kwanzaa has to replace Christmas; Kwanzaa is an African holiday and Kwanzaa is a religious holiday.
Marjuan Canady, author of Calliloo: A Jazz Folktale, with main character Winston (puppet). (Photo by Enoch El-Shamesh)
The most important thing to remember about Kwanzaa, says Smith, is that it is a cultural celebration. “Kwanzaa is a time to be unapologetically who you are, to think about how you’re going to honor your ancestors and to think about how you’re going to make your legacy on the world. If you have African American heritage, you can come to Kwanzaa no matter your religion because the principles are universal.”
On Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, Culture Kingdom Kids will host their biggest Kwanzaa event to date, Kwanzaa Land, with the help of the Boulevard at the Capital Centre in Largo, Md.
“They were excited to try something new to engage Prince George’s County and surrounding area residents in something that was very unique,” says Smith. “This is the first time in mall history that a mall has had a Kwanzaa-only program.”
Smith expects 1,000 people to engage in a massive presentation that she hopes to be fun, educational and memorable.
At the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum on Dec. 26, writer and director Marjuan Canady will be present the play, A Callaloo Kwanzaa.
Jessica Smith, founder of Culture Kingdom Kids, hosting Kwanzaa party with kids.
The play is based off her book Callalloo a Jazz Folktale, featuring a young American boy named Winston who travels to the magical islands of Trinidad and Tobago and encounters mythical folkloric characters that roam the island.
This time, Winston is back to introduce Kwanzaa to children in the DC metro area. “The play is going to include live music from a steelpanorchestra, live puppetry, music, dance and of course theater,” says Canady.
Growing up in Washington, DC and attending the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Canady took part in many Kwanzaa performances. As an adult, however, she’s never personally practiced the holiday. Out of her research in preparing for the play, she’s garnered a profound respect for the holiday.
“You don’t necessarily have to practice it, but it’s important to understand the beliefs and traditions, especially for children of African descent,” she says. “Unfortunately there’s not a lot in the media that uplifts our community and our children so I’m hoping that this performance allows young people to see themselves in a positive light.”
In the midst of protests and outcries to protect black lives amongst the millennial generation, the National Black United Front (NBUF) and the Greater Washington Urban League are hosting #DCKwanzaa2014 Ujima Kwanzaa Celebration, Dec. 28 at the Urban League’s headquarters.
The event will cater to young professionals who may not be familiar with the holiday, says Salim Adofo, national vice chairperson of training & organizing at NBUF. “There will be a keynote speaker, several cultural performances, a community discussion, vendors and opportunities for people to ask questions. So they’ll be a little bit of everything for everybody who wants to come in and learn in multiple different ways.”
In its third year, NBUF will also host its Political Prisoners Kwanzaa Celebration.
“We use this as an opportunity to educate people on some of the social justice and economic issues that go on in our community.”
On Dec. 29 at WeAct Radio on MLK Ave. SE, individuals will gather to learn more about the prison industrial complex and mass incarceration, as well as issues around the recent killings of Mike Brown, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin.
While the DC region will have a host of opportunities to celebrate Kwanzaa, organizers stress the importance of exercising principles not only in this season, but throughout the year for a broader impact.
“It’s an opportunity for people of African descent to learn more about their African heritage and culture and how we can use the best of that to better position ourselves in America and throughout the Diaspora,” says Adofo.