Sunday, Dec 14, 2025 at 2-5pm
Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square Greenfield, MA with Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, Gloria Matlock & Twice As Smart Singers
Creating Community in Difficult Times: Using the principles of Kwanzaa to Build & Celebrate Yesterday & Today’s Community Champions
Join us for an IN PERSON program with presentations, music and a community meal.
Kwanzaa is a week-long cultural holiday normally celebrated from December 26 to January 1 honoring African heritage, community, and shared human values such as unity, creativity, and faith. White it was created to celebrate African and African American culture, anyone can observe Kwanzaa as a time to reflect on community, family, and purpose.
In these fractured times, these principles can help build an inclusive and resilient community by emphasizing core values such as unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, and cooperative economics.
The afternoon of celebration will honor community champions, past and present, and all attending. Communal music is part of this process and key to the event.
Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, UMASS, Amherst professor of history and Afro-American Studies will make a joint presentation with Racial Justice Rising board member Gloria Matlock. Students from the Twice As Smart Singers will be accompanied by musician and social activist Michael Nix. Ursa Shabazz will lead attendees in creating joyous sounds and rhythms on African drums and the program will close with a community meal.
This celebration is free and open to the public– donations are welcome!
Our programs are supported in part by grants from: Greenfield and Orange Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.