IF YOU GO* What: Kwanzaa Exploration.* When: Noon Tuesday.* Where: Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. M.L. King Blvd.* Admission: Free; brown-bag lunches are welcome.* Phone: 266-8658.* Website: www.bessiesmithcc.org.* What: Kwanzaa Celebration and Feast, featuring state Rep. Jo Anne Favors and Sudanese refugee Jackline Joseph.* When: 6 p.m. Wednesday.* Where: Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 1800 N. Chamberlin Ave.* Admission: Free.* Phone: 624-7127, 624-1520.
Tuesday, the Bessie Smith Cultural Center will host an exploration and celebration of Kwanzaa, the African-American cultural holiday celebrated every December. The following day, Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church will host a Kwanzaa Celebration and Feast.
The Kwanzaa Exploration at the Bessie is part of a series, “The Spirituality of Light,” which is a collaboration among the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Bessie. The series explores the significance of light among different world cultures and religions.
The event includes a screening of the documentary “The Black Candle,” narrated by Maya Angelou. The title refers to the seven candles that are lighted on each day of the holiday, each candle representing one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The black candle, placed in the center of the kinara (candle holder) represents the principle of umoja (unity).
Wednesday, state Rep. Jo Anne Favors and Sudanese refugee Jackline Joseph will speak at Union Hill. The theme is “Nguza Saba: An Ethics of Sharing Good in the World.”
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a celebration of family, community and culture. The word comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanzaa,” which means “first fruits.” The origins of Kwanzaa, according to www.official kwanzaawebsite.org, are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa.
Contact Holly Leber at hleber@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6391. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/hollyleber.