16th Annual San Francisco Kwanzaa Celebration at City Hall (2021)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The Village Project & Community Partners Present 16th Annual San Francisco Kwanzaa Celebration, Dec. 26, 2021 – Jan. 1, 2022

Please note there is one in-person celebration at City Hall on December 27th ant Noon. Performances by Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic and Briana Dance Company; Co-sponsors – Mayor London Breed’s Office, Human Rights Commission, OEWD & Booker T. Washington Community Center; In Person Celebration at City Hall at 12 Noon in Rotunda;

Due to the COVID pandemic, this year’s Kwanzaa Celebration will stream virtually from Dec. 26th to Jan. 1st at 7 PM. We will have one in person celebration at City Hall on Dec. 27th at 12 Noon (Kugichagulia). The Village Project and our community partners will celebrate our 16th annual Kwanzaa celebration with seven days of community events presented through social media, i.e., Facebook Live and YouTube. More than ever, we are striving to unite and heal our families, communities and nation. 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. We will again celebrate daily, each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba) and pour libations for all of the lost loved ones, along with honoring our ancestors. Each of our hosting partners will present exciting and enriching cultural programs virtually, intended to both to 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 cultural performances and the lighting of one of the seven candles of the Kinara. Each program will end with a concert performance, featuring some of the Bay area’s rhythm & blues greats! We will supply curbside meal pickups to accommodate the tradition of our daily feast (the karamu). Each program will be video-taped at several of our traditional venues and will stream on Facebook Live, Instagram and YouTube from December 26th to January 1st at 7 pm daily.

This year’s entertainment line-up will include blues bands, dance performances, spoken word, and keynote speakers. Our concert headliners will include a myriad of rhythm & blues and jazz performers, featuring Tia Carroll, Fillmore Slim, Harpist From the Hood, Soul Mechanix, Pat Wilder, Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic, Yolandra Rhodes and Alabama Mike, just to name a few.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

THE NGUZO SABA SCHEDULE

UMOJA (unity): To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race: Sunday, December 26th; Performances by Harpist From the Hood & Fillmore Slim; Co-sponsors – SF Public Library, Bethel AME Church, Third Baptist Church & MEGABLACK, SF

KUJICHAGULIA (self-determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves: Monday, December 27th; Performances by Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic and Briana Dance Company; Co-sponsors – Mayor London Breed’s Office, Human Rights Commission, OEWD & Booker T. Washington Community Center; In Person Celebration at City Hall at 12 Noon in Rotunda; Virtual streaming at 7 PM on Face Book Live & YouTube

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: Tuesday, December 28th: Performance by Soul Mechanix; Co-sponsors – YMCA Urban Services Family Resource Centers, Minnie & Lovie Rec Center, & Hamilton Rec Center

UJAMAA (cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together: Wednesday, December 29th: Performance by Alabama Mike; Co-sponsors Rafiki Coalition for Health & Wellness, B-Magic & The Bayview YMCA

NIA (purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness: Thursday, December 30th: Performance by Pat Wilder; Co-sponsors: The Success Centers – SF, The Fillmore Merchants & Neighborhood Collaborative & New Leadership Community Foundation

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: Friday, December 31st: Performance by Yolandra Rhodes; Co-sponsors African American Arts & Culture Complex, MoMagic & Western Addition/George E. Davis Senior Centers

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: Saturday, January 1st: Performance by Tia Carroll; Co-sponsors: SF State University, Africana Studies; St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD)& Fellowship Manor Senior Housing

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.