Kwanzaa festival in Edison to celebrate family, community and culture

From Staff Reports
·1 min read

EDISON – A Kwanzaa festival and vendor marketplace, presented by the NAACP Metuchen-Edison-Piscataway Area Branch, will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec.10, at Herbert Hoover Middle School, 174 Jackson Ave.

The event will feature performances by Eastside Dance Project under the direction of choreographer Freddie Moore, children's songs sung by Haynes Preparatory School Daycare and Learning Center students, photos with the Black Panther, food and music by DJ Sequence. Performances will be held from 2 to 4 p.m.

The multicultural event, sponsored by the Edison Recreation Department and the Middlesex County Divisions of Arts and History, is an affirmation of values, thanksgiving and growth.

Kwanzaa, which is celebrated Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, is an African American and pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture. During the holiday, families and communities organize activities around the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Dancers Enydia Haynes, Stefany Castedo, Reggie Johnson, president of the NAACP Metuchen Edison Area Branch, Lailah Maubury, choreographer Freddie Moore, Jayla Parades and Jada Rudd set to participate in the Kwanzaa Festival Saturday at Herbert Hoover Middle School in Edison.
Dancers Enydia Haynes, Stefany Castedo, Reggie Johnson, president of the NAACP Metuchen Edison Area Branch, Lailah Maubury, choreographer Freddie Moore, Jayla Parades and Jada Rudd set to participate in the Kwanzaa Festival Saturday at Herbert Hoover Middle School in Edison.

The celebration traditionally includes food, music, dance, poetry, narratives and ends with a day of reflection and recommitment.

"Kwanzaa is getting older as a holiday, and more and more young people celebrate it less. Mainly because of a lack of understanding pertaining to the principles. This is why celebrations and festivals like this are important – to teach future generations that the principles of Kwanzaa are relevant in today's society and are even seen in popular culture – such as in the movie franchise Black Panther," said Michelle Haynes, director of the Haynes Preparatory School in South Plainfield and event organizer.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Kwanzaa festival in Edison to celebrate family, community and culture