WS Chronicle

Staff Report

The Chronicle

— As Winston-Salem marks the final days of its 37th Annual Citywide Kwanzaa Celebration, community members will gather today to observe Kuumba, the principle of creativity, with an intergenerational cultural celebration centered on storytelling, music, and collective expression.

Today’s Kuumba observance is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. at the Annex 1 Auditorium, 725 N. Highland Ave., near the Malloy/Jordan Heritage Center. The program is hosted by the Forsyth County Public Library and North Carolina Black Repertory Company, and will feature the NC Black Rep Youth Ensemble, children’s activities, traditional music, crafts, and a community potluck, known as a karamu.

The Kuumba celebration is part of a weeklong, citywide Kwanzaa observance running Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, convened by Triad Cultural Arts in partnership with neighborhood organizations, churches, and cultural institutions across Winston-Salem. Each day of the celebration focuses on one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles, known as the Nguzo Saba, which emphasize unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Organizers say Kuumba calls on participants to use creativity to strengthen community and leave their neighborhoods better than they found them — a theme reflected in today’s interactive and family-centered programming. Community awardee Elaine Ramos Lamson will also be recognized during the event.

This year’s Citywide Kwanzaa marks more than three decades of coordinated celebration in Winston-Salem, with events hosted in historic East Winston and other neighborhoods throughout the city. Earlier programs included Umoja at the Shotgun House Legacy Site, Kujichagulia and Ujima observances at Delta Arts Center, and Ujamaa at the NAACP headquarters, highlighting Black entrepreneurship, faith institutions, and grassroots leadership.

The celebration will conclude Wednesday, Jan. 1, with Imani (Faith) from 2 to 4 p.m. at Alpha and Omega Church of Faith on Gray Avenue, featuring local clergy, musicians, and community proclamations honoring elders and leaders.

Why this matters:

In a city with deep African American roots, Citywide Kwanzaa continues to serve as both a cultural anchor and a teaching space — passing values, history, and responsibility from one generation to the next while affirming Black identity and collective purpose.

What’s next:

Organizers say the growing intergenerational turnout and youth participation this year will help shape future Kwanzaa programming and year-round cultural education efforts.

— The Winston-Salem Chronicle