By Delarita Ford
Mail | X: @AzNewsmedia

While the seven-day Kwanzaa holiday began the day after Christmas, a season of gratitude and sharing continues.

Kwanzaa, celebrated annually between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, is recognized in many Black and African diaspora families’ homes. The celebration, which started in 1966, originated in California by Dr. Maulana Karenga, an American activist, author and African studies professor, to build morale and esteem within marginalized communities spanning across the U.S. and Canada.

Karenga designed the Kwanzaa celebration to highlight honoring the African American family, community, and culture with music, dancing, African drums, storytelling, poetry readings, and a traditional soul food or African meal. A candle is lit each day on the kinara/candleholder to represent the seven principals of Kwanzaa.

“Kwanzaa is not a religion, but a spiritual holiday. Anytime we gather as a family, we should acknowledge the ancestors,” said Professor Gershom Williams Sr. whose birthday is on the holiday.

He led the community celebration in Phoenix and explained the importance honoring the “ancestral connection,” from remembering those who have transitioned, to pouring libations, and giving “thanks to our elders and ancestors.”

“We should acknowledge the ancestors. Never forget and never again shall we experience or forget the enslavement of our ancestors,” Williams told the audience.

He recognized some of the elders and oldest attendees by having them stand to be honored.

“People thought if you celebrate anything other than Christmas, you must not believe in God. It has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in God. There’s nothing in it that causes you to hate anyone but it’s about helping community,” said Sharon Ukaha, 81, of Avondale.

The matriarch of four sons, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, has celebrated Kwanzaa for 52 years. The St. Louis, Missouri, native said she was introduced to the holiday while attending junior college in California, and has celebrated it ever since.

“We just celebrated Kwanzaa on Zoom before we came here,” Ukaha said of the in-person and virtual family gathering on the first day of the holiday.

Her family attended the Phoenix celebration with her after recognizing the holiday on Zoom.

“I love Kwanzaa ... being with family, seeing everybody together, it’s totally nice,” said sixth-grader Gigi Blackman, 12.
Williams taught the crowd words such as: “Habari Gani” (hah – BAR – ee GAH – nee), which is a Swahili term asking, “What is the news?” He also shared Kwanzaa greetings saying, “Umoja,” which is the Black candle in the center representing unity. He explained the importance of the first fruits of harvesting, and tied it into the African continent, while stressing the importance of celebrating heritage, families, agriculture and more.

In the spirit of MLK

Meanwhile, the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 15. Celebrations will be held throughout the Valley to recognize the event as a day of service and cultural awareness.

• Tempe MLK Diversity Awards breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 8, at DoubleTree by Hilton, 2100 S. Priest Drive., with keynote speaker, Dr. Kenja Hassan, the Arizona State University Office of Government and Community Engagement assistant vice president. For tickets/details: tempe.gov/mlk

• 38th Annual Living the Dream Awards Breakfast will be held 8 a.m. Jan. 14 at the Phoenix Convention Center, South Building and an Interfaith Commemorative Program 8:15-8:45 a.m. Jan. 15

• Commemorative March will be held at East Lake Park starting with an assembly at 8:45 a.m. and the march beginning at 9 a.m., followed by a festival at Margaret T. Hance Park 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 15; Youth Rally 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Jan. 20 at Phoenix College. See: azmlk.org for information.

• Commemorative Candlelight Service will be held 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix

• Presented by the African American Advisory Committee, the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave., will host community chats, featuring discussions, film clips, and more at 6 p.m., on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The event will also be streamed live on facebook.com/tempehistorymuseum. Call 480-350-5100 for more information.

• Scottsdale’s 30th Annual MLK Jr. Celebration Dinner program, hosted by the Community Celebrating Diversity, will feature Dr. Battinto L. Batts Jr., educator/award-winning journalist, as guest speaker, and the 2024 Diversity Champions, Kris Cano and Dr. Velma Trayham. See: ccdarizona.org. The 30th Annual Community Celebrating Diversity 2024 MLK Celebration Dinner is 5:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at The Fieldhouse at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale.

• The Eighth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Celebration & Service will be held 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Jan. 13 at The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N. Parkview Pl. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for the 8:30-10:30 a.m. Day of Service projects. See: surpriseaz.gov/MLK.

More information on regional MLK events will come as details are finalized throughout the Valley.

Delarita Ford
Lead Reporter | Surprise

dford@iniusa.org

Meet Delarita
Delarita Ford originally joined Independent Newspapers Incorporated, now Independent Newsmedia, Inc. USA in 1997, as a general assignment reporter for the Delaware State News daily paper after starting her journalism career in Maryland in 1994, where she honed her skills by writing obituaries, covering community news from births to deaths, education to legislation and more. As a reporter, she has had the opportunity to cover sitting and former U.S. presidential visits in Baltimore, Delaware, and Arizona.

Community: One of the few seasoned journalists who still enjoys covering community events, she can be found with a reporter’s pad taking notes, her phone taking pictures while capturing life’s moments to memorialize them in print for the local newspapers and for the active-adult community where she lives. She maintains a presence with the Black media and the National Association of Black Journalists to encourage peers, socialize, and mentor younger writers.

Education: Life learner who learns from life. Aside from the collegiate education received, she got the best training from on-the-job experience with former editors who went through copy with a red pen and demanded the best writing for hard news and feature stories. 

Random Fact: While a Delaware State News reporter, she could call then Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, usually late at night if a quote or input was needed for varying topics, including legislation and education.

Hobbies: Adopt rescue dogs and give them a nice home. Continuously read and critique news stories from various platforms.