Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 4, 2021, edition 1 / Page 2
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A2 February 4, 2021 The Chronicle An historical look at Kwanzaa in Winston-Salem: The past and present inform us BY FELECIA PIGGOTT- LONG.PHD Duane Jackson and Rachel Jackson have often been hailed as the Father and Mother of Kwanzaa in Winston-Salem because they learned about the cel ebration in the Greensboro area during the 1970s, in vited others to learn about it, and then brought the knowledge to the Twin City to foster connec tions of hope. The Jack- son couple met regularly with members of the Pan African Society from the campus of N.C. A&T State University. Duane Jackson had relocated from Chi cago and he was eager to learn about Kwanzaa. Duane and Rachel had an African wedding of their own on Nov. 9, 1974, at St. Philips Moravian Church on Bon Air Av enue, where the late Rev. Dr. Cedric Rodney oflici- ated. Musa and Barbara Ferguson Kamara, natives of Sierra Leone and mem bers of the Pan African So ciety, served as the emcees of their wedding. After ward, they kept in contact with one another. Musa and Barbara Ka mara invited Duane and Rachel Jackson to the East The children join in the final Harambee at the East Winston Library. Lucia Vaughn, James Grace and Reynita McMillan help light the Kinara at the East Winston Li brary in 1996. White Oak Community Center to glean from the program created by the Pan African Society for three years. The Jacksons invited friends and mem bers from the Winston-Sa lem Improvement Society to attend as well. Some of the attendees included Khalid Griggs, chairman of the Winston-Salem Im provement Society, Baba Joseph Anderson and Gail Anderson of The Healing Force, Hashim Saleh of the Otesha Dance and Mu sic Ensemble, Larry Little, and Josette Clark, among others. Approximately 70 people attended the first Kwanzaa gathering at the East Winston Library in 1979. Griggs had just re located from Atlanta and Washington, D.C, and Clark had relocated from Trenton, N.J. Little was serving on the Winston- Salem Board of Aldermen (1977-1985) and he want ed to get involved in the Kwanzaa movement. Joseph and Gail An derson of The Healing Force usually provided en tertainment for the Kwan zaa meeting. “There was no Kwan zaa without the perfor mance of the Healing Force. They were a central part of the entertainment,” said Griggs. “Everybody else was just talking.” The Healing Force had just relocated from New York where Joseph An derson modeled for the New Breed manufactur ing company that designed fashions to fit the African American male and female frame. Jason and Mable Benning, owners of New Breed, designed the dashi- ki and The Healing Force sang in African attire. “Very few of the at tendees wore African attire at that time. Afri can attire was new in the South. Kwanzaa was just beginning to catch on in the South,” said Joseph Anderson. “We were seek ing and yearning for that connective oneness, that warmth and hunger for knowledge. We knew we had to go back to Winston- Salem to build it up. “It did not make sense for all of the conscious people to have to go to Greensboro. We had to connect with Winston-Sa lem,” said Griggs. Sylvia Sprinkle-Ham lin celebrated Kwanzaa when she was living in Philadelphia in 1975 and she would create a large display window for Kwanzaa at the Central Library when she was over Children’s Outreach. She and members of the staff would take Kwanzaa information to Sprague Street Recreation Center, Happy Hill Gardens and Kimberley Park Recre ation Center. Duane and Rachel Jackson were also active in programs at the East Winston Library. They presented the idea to the East Winston Friends of the Library. “It was important for us to create special pro grams for families at the East Winston Library dur- photos by Felecia Piggott-Long Duane and Rachel Jackson were the founders of the Kwanzaa celebration in Winston-Salem. They are pic tured here with their daughter Ayanna Jackson. ing those days because the City was constantly try ing to find a way to close the library in the African American community,” said Rachel Jackson. The East Winston Friends of the Library chose to celebrate the prin cipal of Kuumba (Creativ ity) as the major principle each year. Those involved in leadership during the early years included librar ian Margaret Allen, Dottie Butler, Jane Steele, Bar bara Anderson, Pat Wright Stepney, Shirley Hairston Holloway, Renee Brown Andrews, Tim Jackson, and Sylvia Sprinkle- Hamlin. Others who were involved during the early years were J. C. Simpson ofthe Friends Group; Lou ise Wilson, ESR Director; Mrs. M. Earl F. Benson, tutorial coordinator; Mazie Woodruff, Library Board; Photographer Santana; Bill Jackson, poet and rap per; Burning Spear Reg gae Band; and Amattulah Saleem, among others. The citywide obser vance of Kwanzaa for seven nights in Winston- Salem began in 1990 when I was a reporter for the Winston-Salem Chronicle and an elder in the Kemet School of Knowledge at Emmanuel Baptist Church. I solicited the assistance of families and leaders in the community to accept a night of Kwanzaa in vari ous homes, churches and centers. Leaders who par ticipated at this time were: Ernie Pitt and Elaine Pitt, Rev. Dr. John Mendez and Sarah Mendez, Em manuel Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Carlton Eversley, Dellabrook Presbyterian Church, Ben Piggott and family, Dr. Dee Smith of the Winston-Salem Ur ban League, The North Carolina Black Repertory Company, Forsyth County Public Library, and Grace Presbyterian Church. Many of these members have continued to serve as leaders of Kwanzaa for more than 30 years. In 2007, Triad Cultural Arts, under the direction of Cheryl Harry, con tinued the mission with the help of many of the original leaders and add ing others. The citywide MM 'Port™ To learn more about why Edward Jones, makes sense for you, call or visit my office today. Dreaming Up the Ideal Retirement I Is Your Job. Helping You Get There Is Ours Charmon M Baker Financial Advisor 135 Jonestown Road Winston Salem, NC 27104 336-768-7687 Kwanzaa committee has been chaired by Ruther ford Moorman of the East Winston CDC and Neigh bors for Better Neighbor hoods and co-chaired by Luci Vaughn. Committee members include Renee Andrews, Emma Shouse, Cheryl Harry, Dana Sug gs, Ben Piggott, Patricia Sadler, and myself, and others are joining day by day. Triad Cultural Arts held its first virtual Kwa- naa week on the Zoom platform in 2020. Each night more than 70 fami lies participated and hun dreds joined the gathering through Facebook. “Although the pan demic has its negative at tributes, our first virtual Kwanzaa allowed us to reach out to many new Kwanzaa participants. Because travel was lim ited, more family mem bers had the opportunity to attend all seven nights, to learn from each morn ing and nightly presenta tion,” said Harry. “We had a strong technology team who worked together to make Kwanzaa happen. Technology was key. Dr. Kia Hood-Scott, Mag- alie Yacinthe, Dr. Felecia Piggott-Long, and Allan Younger took the lead as panelists, guest speakers, dancers, educators, artists, and performers that sup ported the foundation. We did it together.” edwardjones.com Member SIPC Edwardjones MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING CONTACTING THE CHRONICLE Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/WSChron- icle Follow us on Twitter: WSChronicle www.wschronicle.com To send news items: email news@wschronicle.com 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101 To send a Letter to the Editor (350 words or less) or column (550 words or less): email letters@wschronicle.com Main Phone Number: 336-722-8624 For advertising: email adv@wschronicle.com Advertising: Ext. 113 For subscriptions: email Circulation/Subscriptions: Ext. 100 plewis@wschronicle.com Editor: Ext. 108 The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Chronicle Media Group, LLC, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. An nual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636
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