My Kwanzaa Book

In 1999, I wrote a book called “Celebrating Kwanzaa in Buffalo.” The book was an overview of how Kwanzaa is celebrated in our community. It included photographs of the people and places where Kwanzaa was celebrated from the very beginning. The very first photograph was that of Sharon and Kenneth Holley who owned Harambee Bookstore. Today it is called Zawadi Bookstore. The word Zawadi is a Swahili word meaning gift. Sharon and Kenneth Holley organized the Kwanzaa committee for many years in the 1970’s. The Kwanzaa book was illustrated by my good friend and history partner Karima Amin. Karima Amin is a well-known storyteller. I dedicated this book to my late husband Romeo Doyle Muhammad who inspired me to continue writing.

I wrote this book to give our youth information about Kwanzaa. However, it has also been popular with adults. Educators can use this book to teach students about Kwanzaa. Millions of African Americans participate in Kwanzaa every year from December 26 to January 1st. It is a special holiday that celebrates our history and culture. The book also features a page on the founder of Kwanzaa, Dr. Maulana Karenga. He created Kwanzaa in 1966 and today it is observed across the world.

Some of the other people featured in my Kwanzaa book include the following: African drummer Baba Isa, Dorothy Hill (the former director of the Langston Hughes Institute), the late Agnes Bain director of the African American Cultural Center, the late Jan Peters the director of the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers which included the Moot Senior Citizen Center on High Street. Kwanzaa programs were held at the Langston Hughes Center and the African Cultural Center and other places in our community. My Kwanzaa book is unique because it also includes a page recognizing people from the Black media who supported Kwanzaa by publishing the events surrounding the holiday.

The Media page includes pictures of Frank Merriweather, III, the Late Evelyn Merriweather, the Late Ron Fleming who published Fine Print News, the Late Mark O’Riley former columnist of the Criterion, Ted Kirkland, current columnist of the Criterion Frank Gist, and many more. I wanted to pay tribute to those who keep us informed.

There is also a page with the biography of the late Frank E. Merriweather, publisher of the Criterion. I also paid tribute to Enid Wright, who designed the Kwanzaa banners used each year with the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa and meaning of each one. The Kwanzaa book is still being used by many educators and people interested in learning more about Kwanzaa.