15th Annual San Francisco Kwanzaa Celebration Goes Virtual

Submitted by the Event Organizer

SAN FRANCISCO – Due to COVID-19, this year’s Kwanzaa Celebration will stream virtually throughout the Bay Area. The Village Project and our community partners will celebrate our 15th annual Kwanzaa celebration with seven days of community events presented through social media, i.e., Instagram, Facebook Live and You Tube, starting on Dec. 26th through January 1st. More than ever, we are striving to unite and heal our families, community and country. Never before has there been such a need to reflect on the Nguzo Saba, in order to bring our community together and survive this pandemic which is plaguing the world, devastating families and communities. This year, we will again celebrate daily each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba) and pour libations for the loved ones lost to this epidemic, along with honoring our ancestors. Each of our hosting organizations will present exciting and enriching cultural programs virtually, intended to both entertain and engage the entire family. Our spiritual ceremony – pouring of libations and honoring of ancestors- will start each program and will be followed by entertainment and the lighting of one of the seven candles of the Kinara. In celebration of the blues, each program will end with a blues concert, featuring some of the Bay area’s rhythm & blues greats! We will supply curbside, no contact meal pickups to accommodate the tradition of our daily feast. Each program will be video-taped at some of our traditional venues starting with the lighting of the first candle, Umoja (Unity) at the Jazz Heritage center and ending at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church on Jan. 1st with the lighting of the final candle, Imani (faith). Each event will stream daily at 6 pm for 7 days.

This year’s entertainment line-up will include blues bands, dance performances, spoken word, keynote speakers, closing with “Harriet Tubman, A One Woman” play on January 1st.. Our blues headliners will include a myriad of rhythm & blues and jazz performers, featuring Tia Carroll, Fillmore Slim, Soul Mechanix, Niecy, and The Funkstar Band, just to name a few.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY
RSVP & Register for meals & streaming links @ www.eventbrite.com

THE NGUZO SABA Schedule

*UMOJA (unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race Saturday, December 26th. Performances by J.C. Smith Blues Band & Briana’s Dance Company.

*KUJICHAGULIA (self-determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves: Sunday, December 27th; featuring Niecy’s Blues Band.

*UJIMA (collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and solve them together: Monday, December 28; Fillmore Slim & Band will perform.

*UJAMAA (cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together: Tuesday, December 29th; featuring the West Coast Blues Society.

*NIA (purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness: Wednesday, December 30th; Funkstar Rhythm & Blues Band.

*KUUMBA (creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it: Thursday, December 31st
featuring the Bernard Anderson Blues Band & Tia Carroll.

*IMANI (faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle: January, 1st Performance by Soul Mechanix Band and an excerpt from “Harriet Tubman, A One Woman Play”

About Kwanzaa

Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa is celebrated annually by more than 30 million people worldwide, over seven days from December 26 to January 1. The values of Kwanzaa, Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles), are critical tools for addressing the issues facing the African American community. Ceremonies will be led by Brotha’ Clint Sockwell, Kwanza Morton, Malik Seneferu and Toni Battle. There will be a lighting of one of the candles of the kinara & a pouring of libation ceremony, live entertainment & a feast at each event. For our updated program information visit:

www.kwanzaasanfrancisco.com; www.thevillageprojectsf.org
http://www.youtube.com/user/fillmovillageproject

About the Village Project
Adrian Williams is the founder of The Village Project, a youth service organization focusing on education and cultural enrichment for youth and their families in the Western Addition. She has revived the celebration of Kwanzaa throughout San Francisco, by connecting traditionally African American communities.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.