This holiday season, the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (104 17th Ave. S.) will present a series of Kwanzaa programming.
Community Kwanzaa, a celebration in which seven artists each have seven minutes to present one of the seven African principles that make up the seven days of Kwanzaa, will take place Friday, Dec. 19. Founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1963, Kwanzaa was created to build a bridge for African-American and African communities throughout the world.
This family-friendly event will feature seven artists presenting seven African principles that make up the seven days of Kwanzaa. A reception will follow, representing the traditional feast held on Imani, the seventh and final day of Kwanzaa, with seven different entrees.
These Seven Principles are the heart of the holiday and are observed over seven days, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. The Principles are:
•Umoja (Unity) — To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race;
•Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) — To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves;
•Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) — To build and maintain the community together and solve problems together;
•Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) — To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and profit from them together;
•Nia (Purpose) — To make our collective vocation the building and development of our community, to restore our people to their traditional greatness;
•Kuumba (Creativity) — To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, to leave the community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it; and
•Imani (Faith) — To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
For ticket information, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/983501.