6th annual ‘Kwanzaa in the Midlands’ celebration goes virtual due to COVID-19
December 10, 2020
Free event includes performances, drumming, & speaker from different local African origins
The 2020 Kwanzaa in the Midlands: Ujima celebration will be held on Monday, December 28, 2020 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Due to COVID-19 concerns, this FREE community event will be held virtually via Zoom. Registration is required.
Catalyst Mbongi, a coalition of 12 local African-American organizations and businesses, has held Kwanzaa in the Midlands: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) since 2014, where they have reached an annual attendance of 600+ community members. This event is supported by a grant through the Richland County Government Hospitality Tax Fund. Catalyst Mbongi coordinates and implements cultural, civic, health and community activities throughout the Greater Columbia and Richland County areas.
“We are very excited about our first virtual Kwanzaa celebration. The event is designed to have an intergenerational appeal and meet the educational needs of a broad audience through music, youth-led skits, traditional ceremonies and guest speakers,” said Dr. Burnett Gallman, convener, Catalyst Mbongi. “Although activities will be virtual this year, the mission of our Kwanzaa celebration remains the same: unity and collective work and responsibility for the African-American community.”
Kwanzaa is an annual, weeklong celebration that honors African heritage in African-American culture. It is observed from December 26th to January 1st and includes a series of gift giving, feasts, and education. The 2020 Kwanzaa In the Midlands event will be celebrated on Monday (December 28) which is the Ujima principle. Ujima in the African Kiswahili language means “Collective Work and Responsibility.” All activities will build upon the idea of pooling resources to make the community better.
Noted historian and scholar Dr. Greg Kimathi Carr will serve as the keynote speaker. He is the Chairman of the Africana Studies Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and a regular guest speaker on many national platforms.
Register for this FREE event on Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/2020Kwanzaa. For additional event information, including vendor and sponsor information, contact Urica P. Floyd at 803.318.0247 or [email protected].
About Catalyst Mbongi
Catalyst Mbongi, established in 2014, is a coalition of 12 local African-American organizations and businesses in Columbia, South Carolina. The organizations include: Kemetic Institute for Health and Human Development, Krst Universal Temple, Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations, Project Sankofa, Meditating Massage Wellness Studio, Center for Education and Equity of African-American Students (USC), National Association of Black Social Workers-Columbia Chapter, Palmer Memorial Chapel, South Carolina Organization for African Unity, Egbe Aborisa, Ubuntu Institute for Community Development (Greenville), and The Obsidian Group. Mbongi is an African word that represents coming together to collectively address and solve problems. The Columbia Catalyst Mbongi coordinates and implements cultural, civic, health and community activities throughout the Greater Columbia and Richland County areas. For more information, contact Urica P. Floyd at 803.318.0247 or [email protected].
