On Saturday, the Elegba Folklore Society will hold its 21st annual Capital City Kwanzaa Festival in honor of the traditions, principles and artistic expressions of Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American heritage that occurs every year from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. First established in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, the holiday was intended to, in the words of its creator, "give [African-Americans] an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history," and is based on what Karenga dubbed "the seven principles of Kwanzaa," each of which is the focus of a different day.
Since the Capital City Kwanzaa Festival falls on the sixth day of Kwanzaa this year, the festival takes inspiration from the sixth principle, Kuumba, which means "creativity." According to tradition, Kuumba represents a commitment to doing everything possible to help one's community, and to leave it "more beautiful and beneficial than [one] inherited it."
The other principles are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose and faith.
In the spirit of Kuumba, the Elegba Folklore Society has lined up musical and dance performances, as well as an African market and craft workshops. The headline attraction, however, will be the attendance of Academy Award-nominated actress and humanitarian Ruby Dee.
Critically lauded for her roles in the films "A Raisin in the Sun" and "American Gangster," Dee was also well-known for her activism in the civil rights movement, and is a member of several organizations supporting the continuance of the movement today, including the Congress of Racial Equality and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dee lives in New York.
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