Some 150 people basked in the beat of drums inside the Wesley Methodist Educational Complex worship hall for the 2013 Kwanzaa Festival.
Thursday’s event was the 40th hosted by the African Diaspora Youth Development Foundation.
The Echo People band entertained with drumming, and Glen “Kwabena” Davis and the Voices of Love choir did renditions of songs for the occasion. Vendors of handcrafted jewelry, organic soaps and fragrances lined the perimeter of the hall, enclosing the audience seated at the center.
“We realize that many of our people in the community cannot do what we can do, so it’s our way of giving back to the community,” said event organizer Jaribu Bobo.
Carefully laid out on a table in front of the stage were traditional kwanzaa symbols: the crops, the mat, the candle holder with the seven candles, the corn, the unity cup, and the gifts.
Husband and wife Akiyemi and Mariel Blake poured libations and called the names of great ancestors.
Bobo lit the mishumaa saba, the seven candles representing Nguzo Saba, the seven unifying principles of kwanzaa: umoja or unity, kujichagulia or self-determination, ujima or collective work and responsibility, ujamaa or cooperative economics, nia or purpose, kuumba or creativity, and imani or faith. For every day of the seven-day celebration, the African community focuses on one principle, beginning with umoja –unity – on Thursday.
Angelita Jennings and Eddie Bruce were honored with gifts for their participation in Kwanzaa and African community-building events for the last four decades.
Elridge Thomas, in his Farmer’s Report, declared that the current $3 million budget appropriation from the government for agriculture is insufficient to develop the territory’s agriculture industry.
“There’s not much we can do with $3 million,” said Thomas. “We can’t train our young people, who are our future, if we intend for agriculture to continue. We can’t develop our infrastructure. But the farmers are still holding straight. The farmers are still working hard, still going into the field.”
Thomas said the government should appropriate one percent of the entire budget, roughly $10 million, to agriculture, and already knew how to allocate the funds: 40 percent for administrative functions, 35 percent for training and placement, 12 percent for heavy equipment and spare parts, 12 percent for water infrastructure, and one percent for gifts and grants to agricultural organizations.
Thomas also advocated the “julie in every yard” legislation recently passed by the Senate. Thomas challenged the attendees to join the campaign, saying it is unacceptable to pay $5 for three mangoes when the native climate and soil are conducive for growing the fruit.
The 85-year-old Jennings gave the Elder’s Report, which covered topics ranging from electronic transactions to grandparents as culture bearers.
“Grandmothers are the glue for the future,” said Jennings. “The true light of knowledge is in grandparents. Grandparents know everything, but if you don’t ask them, they don’t tell you, and they would go to the grave with their knowledge.”
Jennings also urged the community to take a more active role in the development of its young people.
“You ask, ‘Why didn’t you get an A, why didn’t you get this,’ but it’s all your fault,” said Jennings. “Go to the parent-teacher meetings, talk about what’s going on with our children.”
Guest speaker Edward Laborde, local filmmaker and director, spoke about his struggles as a start-up in the film business, and the ongoing production of his film, “Timeless.”
“The story behind getting ‘Timeless’ done is probably as epic as the movie itself, probably more,” said Laborde. “When you look at the principles of Kwanzaa … so much of what we are going for has to do with every one of these principles.”
Bobo was pleased with the outcome of the event, the turnout of community members and small business owners.
“The essence of Kwanzaa, is community-building, the community coming out and seeing each other in a positive way, as well as networking,“ she said.
