Bangor NAACP holding Kwanzaa celebration

President Emeritus Varner invites the community to join in the festivities



LIGHT OF HOPE - James Varner, president emeritus of the

Greater Bangor Area NAACP, lights Kwanzaa candles.

 Kwanzaa was founded to help people within the African-American community come together during the holiday season.
“The primary purpose of Kwanzaa is to strengthen and increase pride and self-esteem within the black family,” said James Varner, president emeritus of the Greater Bangor Area NAACP. Varner recently resigned from his 15-year position and Joseph Perry was elected in his place. This year’s Kwanzaa celebration will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bangor on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.
Ron Karenga introduced Kwanzaa in 1978 in an effort to develop pride within the African-American community. “He felt that this is a way to help us feel good about ourselves,” Varner said. “This is a positive force in this subliminal world we are living in.”
Kwanzaa focuses on seven principles: unity, collective work, purpose, self-determination, cooperative economics, faith and creativity. Each night of Kwanzaa, which begins Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1, a candle is lit and one principle is discussed.
“Usually this celebration is done in the home, but we want everyone to feel welcome to come,” Varner said. Presents are also given each night to those participating. “It’s usually something very simple and homemade,” Varner said.
The UMaine Black Student Union will be participating along with NAACP. This marks the 15th year of this celebration. It is also the largest Kwanzaa celebration in Maine.
More than 11 million people celebrate Kwanzaa, and many of them are not African American. “We are all brothers and sisters,” Varner said. “This is a celebration of the culture and part of that is being American.”
Another purpose of Kwanzaa is to lead the culture in a direction of economic development and pride in the community. Kwanzaa means “firsts.” In the case of the celebration, it means first fruits or harvest.
“The final ‘a’ in the word represents the young people in the community,” Varner said.
Although Varner resigned as president of NAACP, he will stay on as secretary. NAACP’s purposes are to eliminate racial discrimination and segregation from all aspects of public life in America and to end mob violence and police brutality. They also try to secure equal job opportunities based upon individual merit without regard to race, religion or national origin.

By Alisha Tondro

Posted on Monday, December 11th, 2006

 

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