At a Glance
- Dallas bookstore hosts daily Kwanzaa activities, culminating in a Liberation Paint Party.
- Activities celebrate Kwanzaa principles, especially Creativity.
- The event includes singing, dancing, and craft-making for community unity.
- Why it matters: It strengthens cultural identity and community bonds in Dallas.
The Pan-African Connection Bookstore in Dallas has been hosting daily Kwanzaa events that bring the community together to celebrate the holiday’s seven principles. On Wednesday, the store organized a Liberation Paint Party to honor the principle of Creativity, drawing families and young artists into a shared creative space.
Celebrating Creativity Through Paint
The gathering focused on the sixth principle, Creativity, with participants making art pieces and sharing stories of self-determination and unity.
- Umoja – Unity
- Kujichagulia – Self-Determination
- Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics
- Kuumba – Creativity
- Imani – Faith
Community Voices
Adjwoa Tyehimba stated:
> “Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration,” Pan-African Connection Co-Owner Adjwoa Tyehimba said. “It’s meant to bring people of African American descent together to celebrate unity, self-determination, creativity, and all of the above. It’s a time where if you don’t have money to buy gifts, you come to a program and make a gift. It’s about just loving on each other!”
Nommo Kofi Diop said:
> “Kwanzaa is a sense of getting back to that, you know? Not only returning to it, but also moving forward, and the idea that we never really lost who we were,” craft instructor Nommo Kofi Diop said. “Hopefully, they’ll take something home with them, you know? Kwanzaa is supposed to be something that’s practiced at home.”
Mahogany said:
> “I’m looking for a light purple or light green,” a young girl named Mahogany said as she worked on her piece, sitting with her relatives, Majella and Serenity. “It’s about being together and celebrating our ancestors, and Black lives.”
Mahogany added:
> “Yeah,” Mahogany said. “It makes me feel a little bit happy!”
Adjwoa Tyehimba also remarked:
> “I know people say this holiday hasn’t always been here,” Tyehimba said. “Well, try something new! It never hurt you to try anything new. It’s really a beautiful celebration.”
The event also highlighted the importance of faith as Kwanzaa’s final principle, observed on Thursday, January 1st.
Key Takeaways
- Daily Kwanzaa activities foster community unity in Dallas.
- The Liberation Paint Party celebrated the principle of Creativity.
- Voices from the community emphasized cultural identity and the evolving nature of the holiday.
The Pan-African Connection Bookstore’s celebration underscores how Kwanzaa can bring people together, encouraging creative expression and shared values.
