During the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club’s 27th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration Dec. 17 at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus (ESLHEC), Nelson Mandela was remembered in poetry, visual presentations and by someone who visited him in prison.
The free event was hosted by Dr. Eugene B. Redmond, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville emeritus professor and co-founder of the Writers Club with Sherman L. Fowler and Darlene Roy (president).
“I met Mandela in jail in 1977 when four of us went to visit him,” said 78-year-old Reginald Petty, of East St. Louis. Petty served as a director of the U.S. Peace Corps from 1966-83. He also was the national director of the Peace Corps for four African countries: Kenya, Burkina Faso, Swazi Land and Senegal.
“My impression was that he had a lot more spirit and drive than I thought someone would have in his position,” Petty said. “At the time, I was working with the African National Conference (ANC) and Winnie (Mandela).”
All participants in the Kwanzaa program helped audience members to “collaborate with ancestors, recognize the importance of Kwanzaa and instill its valuable principles,” said Redmond.
The highlight of the evening was the Kwansaba Candle-Lighting Ritual, performed by the Soular Systems Ensemble, which included Susan “Spit-Fire” Lively, Roy, Roscoe “Ros” Crenshaw, Jaye P. Willis, Troy Swanson, Charlois Lumpkin (Mali Newman) and Redmond. Also on program was Sylvester “Sunshine” Lee’s drum troupe and dance company, the Community Performance Ensemble.
According to the Official Kwanzaa Website:
“Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce seven basic values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing family, community and culture among African American people as well as Africans throughout the world African community. These values are called the Nguzo Saba which in Swahili means the Seven Principles. Developed by Dr. Maulana Karenga, the Nguzo Saba stand at the heart of the origin and meaning of Kwanzaa, for it is these values which are not only the building blocks for community, but also serve to reinforce and enhance them.”
The holiday is celebrated from Dec. 26-Jan.1.
The Seven Principles and the poets lighting the corresponding candle and reading a kwansaba included:
• Umoja (Unity)– Redmond
• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)– Swanson
• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)– Roy
• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)– Lumpkin
• Nia (Purpose) – Crenshaw
• Kuumba (Creativity)– Lively
• Imani (Faith)– Willis
Lumpkin’s kwansaba follows:
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
We lend our hearts to share common
cause. We open our minds to create
worlds where none before existed, pooling our
assets to self finance dreams. We stand
united behind our vision of a co-op
economy to build wealth, sustain health, and
ensure the defense of the village nation.
The kwansaba, a poetic form invented by the EBR Writers Club in 1995, consists of seven lines of seven words each with no word containing more than seven letters. Exceptions to the seven-letter rule are proper nouns and foreign words. Both the name and the principles of the poetic device come from Kwanzaa.
The EBR Writers Club was chartered in 1986 and meets from 6-8 p.m. every first and third Tuesday at the ESLHEC. The Club’s trustees are Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Avery Brooks, Haki R. Madhubuti, Walter Mosley, Quincy Troupe, Jerry Ward Jr. and Lena J. Weathers.
For more information about the Club and Redmond, visit eugenebredmond.com/home/, email eredmon@siue.edu or call (618) 650-3991.
The Kwanzaa celebration was co-sponsored by SIUE, Black River Writers Press, Drumvoices Revue and the East St. Louis Cultural Revival Campaign.
Photo Information:
SIUE Professer Emeritus Eugene B. Redmond applauds during the Kwanzaa Candle-Lighting ceremony