Kwanzaa Reading @ Tacoma Arts Live Lemon Sessions: "A Winter's Night"

Kwanzaa Reading @ Tacoma Arts Live Lemon Sessions: "A Winter's Night"

A Vibrant Fusion of Art, Sound, and Story at Tacoma Arts Live
🍋 Lemon Sessions: A Winter's Night
Kwanzaa Reading by Noni Ervin

 

Foundations & Ancestral Connection: 
LIBATION & ILLUMINATION 


Living the Principles Daily:
BEAUTIFUL THINGS

 

 

FIRST HALF
LIBATION & ILLUMINATION

In 1966, Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga to bring African Americans together as a people and as a community. 

On the African continent, the word “kwanza” is a six-letter Swahili word meaning “first”. It is the “first fruits” festival held after the harvest in agricultural communities. A time of thanksgiving to God for being bountiful in the harvest. An extra “a'' was added because seven children were performing the first candle lighting. This made  “Kwanzaa” with seven letters without changing the pronunciation, linking the new celebration with ancient Africa. 

The NGUZO SABA (the seven principles of Kwanzaa) are to be INSPIRATION during our Kwanzaa celebration and as a guide for how we INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER DAILY.
  • ONE IS UMOJA, WHICH MEANS UNITY
  • TWO IS KUJICHAGULIA, WHICH MEANS SELF-DETERMINATION
  • THREE IS UJIMA, MEANING  COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
  • FOUR IS UJAMAA, MEANING COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS
  • FIVE IS NIA, WHICH MEANS PURPOSE
  • SIX IS KUUMBA, WHICH MEANS CREATIVITY; AND
  • SEVEN IS IMANI, WHICH MEANS FAITH


What began as an African American celebration in the United States, celebrated by hundreds, has become a Pan-African celebration by more than 30 million worldwide, from December 26th to January 1st.

We begin our celebration with a libation
Pouring water into the soil of a living plant
We say a prayer--simple or elaborate
Then we pour a bit, and affirm with Ase, meaning “it is so.”  
Our fathers and mothers came here
Lived, loved, struggled, and built here
For them who gave so much, we give in return.  [POUR]
Ase.

We have pictures of our loved ones, our ancestors, our heroes
My grandma “Dodie”, wearing a lace dress and hat
Fresh from church or a community caucus
Sitting on the front porch of her Southern California home
I love her, I miss her, and I remember her fierce advocacy.   
On this same soil, we will sow our seeds
And build and move in unity and strength.   [POUR]
Ase.

The libation culminates with a rumble of sound
Everyone present, speaking or shouting names
Beloved ancestors from family, then community, then the region and world.
We call out their names and listen at the same time
Ancestors whom we acknowledge and remember together. 
May we remember and honor our ancestors and the legacy they left 
For as long as the sun shines and the waters flow.      [POUR]
Ase.     [POUR]
Ase.     [POUR]
Ase.     [POUR THE REST]

Next, we light the seven candles representing the seven principles
BLACK for the people, RED for the struggle, GREEN for hope
We light the flame and illuminate UNITY, then SELF-DETERMINATION, and so on
Every night, we add another candle--we light, and we illuminate
The flame is symbolic of our commitment.   
May we illuminate COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY
PURPOSE, and CREATIVITY
May we embody these principles throughout the year
When it is cold, and when the sun is hidden from us
May we bring hope to one another
 Ase.




SECOND HALF 
BEAUTIFUL THINGS

Imagine a local park
Tables and benches are placed throughout
Community members of all ages 
Sitting, walking, running, jumping… laughing, talking, playing
Simultaneously busy, noisy, peaceful, and serene
The sun is shining, and the wind is just right.

Elders walk by a table covered with items
Treasures and trinkets collected over their lifetime
Glass and porcelain containers, metal works, fabrics, textiles 
All colors, shapes, and sizes atop a weathered tablecloth
The elders look and smile as they remember-- sometimes they wince
They walk by this table every time they come to the park.

On the other side of the park
Teenagers set up a game they created
They are rambunctious and very physical--moving everywhere
They need more and more tables--they add one after another
They need the last table…
The one covered in all that stuff.

In a single effort, they pull the tablecloth 
And like a magic trick, the table is clear--almost entirely
Their game  can continue
Onlooking elders are in shock, like witnesses to a horrific accident 
Never would they have imagined this event
Generations of their beautiful things… instantly gone.

The 7th principle of Kwanzaa is Imani (which means Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. 

We must understand the expended energy and effort, and the progress achieved by our ancestors, our elders, our people, our parents, our teachers, and our leaders. 

Without understanding — without carrying or holding their value from one generation to the next, our own children will come along and discard them as without value, insignificant, or, in their way, because we did not share the beauty of our struggle. 

So, seek out an elder or community member and ask them about their neighborhood growing up or their experiences. Next time you are in the park, may you be among those who smile, wince, and remember. 

As you pass by, may you be anchored in the confidence that the treasures and trinkets collected over lifetimes are visual reflections illuminating our bright future.
đź’›

 

TacomaArtsLive #LemonSessions #Kwanzaa #NguzoSaba #Imani


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