KWANZAA 2020
All Events Virtual 7pm MT via Zoom | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81649942011 More Details to Follow
kWANZAA cONTACT
Schedule of Events
Kwanzaa 101
According to Kwanzaa’s creator Dr. Maulana Karenga, “It [Kwanzaa] was created in 1966 in the midst of our struggles for liberation and was part of our organization Us’ efforts to create, recreate and circulate African culture as an aid to building community, enriching Black consciousness, and reaffirming the value of cultural grounding for life and struggle.”
Dr. Karenga and his wife with community at brother jeff's Cultural Center
In his preface to Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, Karenga writes, “Clearly within these 30 years, interest in Kwanzaa has steadily grown and so has the number of it celebrants. This phenomenal growth, which includes over 20 million celebrants throughout the world African community, is engendered and sustained by the rich and varied meaning Kwanzaa has for us as a people. The holiday speaks to our constant quest to be rooted in our own culture, to speak our own special cultural truth in a multicultural world and to practice values and share a vision which reaffirms and reinforces the best of family, community and culture.”
Circle of Wisdom
Four elders in our community are selected to be honored each year as part of the Circle of Wisdom. We honor elders who have shown activism in the community.
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Isetta Crawford Rawls, Author 1997
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Opalanga D. Pugh, Grio, 1998
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Kenneth Grimes, Author and the late Hiawatha Davis, Jr., City Councilman, 1999
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Dr. Jennie Rucker, Educator and Dr. Rene Rabouin, Educator, 2000
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Mildred Pitts Walter, Arthur and DR. Paul Hamilton, Educator, 2001
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Grace L. Stiles, Educator and Baba Adetunji Joda, African Dance. 2002
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Letitia S. Williams, Educator and Perry Ayers, Artistic Director, 2003
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Dr. Claudette Sweet, Community Activist and John Marsh, Community Activist, 2004
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Thedora Jackson, Community Activist and Dr. Lawrence Borom, Educator, 2005
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Juju Nkrumah, Community Activist and brother jeff Fard, Community Activist, 2010
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Wallace Yvonne Tollette, Arthur and Dorothy King Sr., Community Activist, 2010
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Terry Nelson, Librarian and Cleo Parker Robinson, Dance school Founder, 2011
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Dr. Sharon Bailey, Educator and Brother Ansar El Muhammad, Photographer, 2011
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Lenora Alexander, Publisher and Archie Jones Community Activist, 2012
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Dr. Linda Williams, Director of African American Leadership Institute
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Dr. Anthony Young, Educator 2012
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Daphne Rice-Allen, Wilma Webb, Hazel Whitsett, Pricilla Brown 2013
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Reynelda Muse, Shirley Sims, Pastor King Harris 2014
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Bee Harris, Pastor Robert Wolfolk, H. Malcom Newton, Marie Greenwood 2015
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Dorothy King Jr. Stockton, Dr. Abayomi Odadele Meeks, Gladys Brown Jones Turnbough 2016
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Ron Springer, Senakhu, Charles Burrell, James "Dr. Daddio" Walker 2017
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Thom Foster, Sid Wilson, Debra Fard, Carolyn Jones 2019
SUPPORTERS
Denver Public Library
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater
brother jeff’s Cultural Center
Councilwoman Candi Cdebaca
Curtis Park Neighbors
Denver Kwanzaa Committee
Melanation E
Neat Stuff at the Black Market
Zion Senior Center
The Denver Weekly News
5 STAR NEWS (formerly 5 POINTS NEWS)