Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa 2004 Events

A Kwanzaa Celebration featuring The Magic of African Rhythm

Thursday, December 30 th - 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Kwanzaa is a spiritual, festive, and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life, which claims no ties with any religion. The YMI Cultural Center will present, A Kwanzaa Celebration, with a live artist performance reflecting on the Kwanzaa principles, its origins, and an opportunity for the audience to learn about the significance of Kwanzaa to Pan African communities.

This year's featured artist for A Kwanzaa Celebration is " The Magic of African Rhythm" out of Raleigh, NC. This African American dance & drum troupe, featured on the Asheville Area Arts Council's artist roster, "grew" their artistic talents in Africa and present a vibrant cultural arts show highlighting the traditional communal celebration. Through African music, dance, design, and culture, The Magic of African Rhythm brings a variety of authentic African art genres to Asheville, celebrating the "first fruits" festival in its purest form.

A traditional Kwanzaa feast is provided by The Ritz Family Restaurant (42 S. Market St. - 225-3031) as part of the "first fruits" celebration to fully engage participants in the holiday's tasty traditions along with local vendors selling Kwanzaa items for the community to celebrate the holiday at home. The following food items will be served at the celebration:

  • Peas & Rice
  • Catfish Nuggets
  • Chicken Drummettes
  • Mixed Greens Salad
  • Cornbread
  • Sweet Potato Pie

Tradition : Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture. Celebrated from December 26th through January 1st, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza", which means "first fruits" in Swahili, Pan-African language. Kwanzaa was created to serve as a regular communal celebration to reaffirm and reinforce the bonds between people. It was designed to strengthen community and reaffirm common identity, purpose, and direction as a people and a world community.

The seven principles of Kwanzaa , also known as the Nguzo Saba , are important African community values. They are:

•  Umoja (Unity)

•  Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

•  Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

•  Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

•  Nia (Purpose)

•  Kuumba (Creativity), and

•  Imani (Faith)

The Nguzo Saba is an emphasis on the importance of family, community, and culture and exemplifies what it means to be African and human in the world today. Kwanzaa was conceived to introduce and reinforce these values and to cultivate appreciation of them.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, author and scholar-activist who stresses the indispensable need to preserve, continually revitalize and promote African American culture.

"As an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community, Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. The holiday, then will of necessity, be engaged a san ancient and living cultural tradition which reflects the best of African thought and culture, the well-being of family and community, the integrity of the environment and our kinship with it, and the rich resource and meaning of a people's culture."

- Dr. Maulana Karenga - The Creator of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious holiday, and the YMICC welcomes anyone who would like to come and share in the rich heritage and celebration of African and African American Culture.

The event accepts donations, $3.00 per person, to support the YMICC's Outreach Efforts.

In the Spirit of Africa: Selections from the Permanent Collection

Year-Round Rotating Exhibition

Traditional and contemporary African masks, figurative woodcarvings, instruments, weapons, and textiles will be on display as part of the YMI Cultural Center's donated collection from local merchants, businesses, and The Friends of the YMI. Discover the historic purposes of masks and sculptures, which reflect African ancestral heritage and learn to appreciate symbolism and abstraction in African art. In addition, the YMICC will temporarily debut its valuable collection of ivory sculptures and Ashanti stools adding to the wide array of artifacts community members can observe.

This exhibit will compliment the YMICC's Kwanzaa display which observes the African American holiday's customs, principles, and traditions through guided and self-guided tours. Kwanzaa tours are presented during the month of December in conjunction with the "In the Spirit of Africa" permanent visual arts collection to enhance the patron's visit to the YMI.

Fee: $5.00 per person; $4.00 for students & senior citizens - Special Group Rates Available.

Contact or visit YMICC staff for program & booking information at:

YMI Cultural Center - 39 South Market Street - Asheville, NC - 28801

Office: (828) 252-4614 · Fax: (828) 257-4539 · E-Mail: ymicc1@aol.com

The YMICC is supported by the Asheville Area Arts Council United Arts Campaign; City of Asheville Parks & Recreation Dept.; Buncombe County Dept. of Social Services; Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa; North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the state of NC and the National Endowment of the Arts; the NC Dept. of Cultural Resources; and Wachovia Bank .