Students celebrate Kwanzaa with food, music

Dim lighting, candles and rose-petal centerpieces accented the Clayton Hall ballroom Thursday night as students, faculty and community members gathered for the Cultural Programming Advisory Board's 10th annual Pre-Kwanzaa celebration.

The event, co-sponsored by the Center for Black Culture and Black Student Union, focused on Kwanzaa, a celebration held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 to honor African-American heritage and culture in the United States. Senior Kinnethia Tolson says the event allowed students from different backgrounds to connect with each other.

"It's a great event because it brings the black community of this area together," Tolson says. "It opens up people's eyes to the black tradition of Kwanzaa."

Students and faculty members took the stage to light candles on a candleholder, called a kinara. Each candle represented one of the seven principles of African culture that contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani, which mean unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

The event also commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Center for Black Culture. Attendees watched a short film highlighting the history of the organization and its mission to serve as a catalyst for ethnic and multicultural understanding on campus. Later, university students and members of the Black Alumni Organization spoke about the Center for Black Culture and how it affected their time at the university.

Attendees also took part in a "soul food" feast, consisting of macaroni and cheese, baked fish, string beans, mashed potatoes, baked chicken, cornbread and cake. The meal mirrored Karamu, an African feast held during Kwanzaa on Dec. 31.

After the meal, the band Black Violin performed their mix of jazz, hip-hop, funk and classical music. The group, which consists of two classically trained violinists and a DJ, performed covers of popular songs by artists like Drake, Kanye West and Jay-Z.

Fiona Caramba-Coker, program coordinator for the Center for Black Culture, says students can relate to Black Violin's sound.

"We brought Black Violin because we thought it would be a great piece for our students and for the community here," Caramba-Coker says. "It's great how they grew and developed their talent to what they have today—especially the way they intertwined it with modern music."

The evening came to a close as attendees visited vendor tables selling African crafts, jewelry and fabrics. Junior Kristin Rowe, who sold handmade stone bracelets, necklaces and metal earrings at the event, says the event helps foster an understanding between cultures.

"I've been to the event every year since I was freshman and I would definitely come back again," Rowe says. "I love the food and music, as well as the fact that many different kinds of people from the community come together."