Milwaukee’s Kwanzaa celebration will be in person again this year after being forced to go virtual in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are going back to in person because the people want it. We will gather safely, and we will celebrate together the way we have always done,” said Clayborn Benson, founder and executive director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum.
Since 1988, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St., has been home to the annual celebration of African American culture held from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
And while the virtual event last year was watched by hundreds of people, Benson said, it will be good to be back in person.
But to be careful, things will be different than in past years. The event will only be celebrated one day at the Black Historical Society, and only 200 tickets will be available for guests, instead of the more than 400 who attended in 2019 when there was standing room only. Participants will be asked to either show proof of vaccination or have a negative COVID test at least 72 hours prior to the event.
Masks will be required at all times. Masks, hand sanitizer, and plastic gloves will be available for those who need them at the door.
Benson said this year’s celebration will get back to its roots of talking about the importance of the seven principles, fellowship, and celebrating the African American and pan-African culture, community, and family.
“With the things going on in our community, this could not come at a more important time. We have to get back to what we know,” Benson said.
Tickets will be limited. To register starting Sunday, click here or go to www.eventbrite.com/e/kwanzaa-2021-opening-ceremonies-tickets-212557654667.
Debating whether to have Kwanzaa in person
The decision to hold Kwanzaa in person again was not an easy one, said Jamila Benson, manager of the Black Historical Society.
The organizers considered the rising number of COVID cases and measured that against the large number of people who still remain unvaccinated in Milwaukee and across the state.
They also considered the success of last year’s virtual event, which allowed them to tap into new audiences they had not reached before.
But everything considered, they decided meeting in person was far more positive.
“People really miss being in person, and when you consider how everything is opening up, we knew we had to as well,” she said.
“I was watching the Bucks game on TV the other day, and there were thousands of people at the game and they were not socially distanced,” Benson said.
“Our goal is to celebrate, but celebrate healthy.”
Understanding the meaning of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is Swahili for “first” and signifies the first fruits of the harvest. The celebration was created by Dr. Maulena Karenga, who has celebrated Kwanzaa in Milwaukee with the Bensons.
Kwanzaa spans seven days, and each day focuses on one of the seven principles to be taught and celebrated.
The first day of Kwanzaa honors Umoja, which means (unity), coming together and respecting our children, seniors, and counterparts.
The other days are as follows: Kujichagulia, (self-determination); Ujima, (collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa, (cooperative economics, which means to invest in ourselves); Nia, (vision and focus); Kuumba, (creativity); and Imani, (faith and believing that all things will work out).
“You may not realize this, but you use all of these principles every day. If you practice these principles, it leads to a good life and you learn how to treat people with respect,” Clayborn Benson said.
A number of problems in the city, from the record number of stolen vehicles and homicides and increased crime, stems from people straying away from Kwanzaa’s core principles.
If young people and families practiced these principles daily, they would treat one another better and respect their elders.
“You would not see people driving recklessly like we do today because they would have more respect for themselves and each other,” Benson said.
Remember our elders, and our young people at Kwanzaa
This year’s celebration will focus on the core roots, celebrating culture, and most of all, young people.
A libation ceremony will be performed by State Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee).
Libations is the ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a spirit, or soul of a person, who has died. I personally love this practice because it gives people who have lost loved ones a chance to remember them by calling out their names so that they are never forgotten.
Benson also honors college students and recent graduates by having them come forward to be recognized and encouraged by those in the community. Often times, people give money to young people to help them along the way.
The youngest community members are also recognized. Men beat on their drums and everyone sings as Benson brings babies, toddlers, and elementary school students in front of the crowd to be honored.
The crowd sings: “This little (name of child) she’s Black and beautiful,” and the line is repeated three times before saying, “Singing power to the people, she/he is Black and beautiful.”
At night during the celebration, one of seven red, black, and green candles is burned. Women and men perform African dance to the beat of the drummers, and all are encouraged to join in.
Several vendors will be selling everything from African artwork, canes, bracelets, and books by Black authors.
Benson’s Kwanzaa celebration is one of the longest running in the entire country, starting with just seven people in 1988 to hundreds today.
“I don’t do this for me. This is for the people. This is a celebration of young people. A celebration of family and a way to get back to what we do best,” he said.
A new home may be coming for the Black Historical Society
Benson this month applied to the state to purchase the former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources building at 2300 N. King Drive.
The two-story, 34,000-square-foot building in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood has been vacant since the Department of Natural Resources moved earlier in the year to a new regional office in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley.
Benson, 72, wants the building to be the new home of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum.
“We have simply outgrown our space and that would be a perfect spot for us,” Benson said.
With an appraised value of $1.2 million, the location would help to anchor a growing arts and entertainment district on the city’s north side.
Benson who has received the support of Gov. Tony Evers, Mayor Tom Barrett, and Alderwoman Milele Coggs, said if he gets the building, he could be moved by next summer.
“Benson would be a perfect anchor for the arts and entertainment district,” Coggs said.
Coggs cited tremendous growth in Bronzeville including: Historic Garfield Apartments; the Griot Apartments/America’s Black Holocaust Museum; Dohmen Co. Foundation Inc. headquarters, Rockford’s Blue Water Grill; and the ThriveOn King, the conversion of the Schuster’s department store into community space and apartments.
“There is a lot going on. The area is really thriving, and it would be a perfect fit,” Coggs said.
The move could leave a void, though.
Benson purchased the building on Center Street for $2 from the city. Since that purchase, the museum has become a much-loved community hub.
There have been political debates, health events, African dance classes, community discussions, Kwanzaa celebrations, and more.
The current, cream brick building is a special place to my wife and I. We held our wedding reception there, and my wife even threw a surprise 50th birthday party for me there.
But Benson is right. He needs a new space.
Being in the DNR building would allow him to host even more events. He would have more storage space and be able to host multiple events and have more parking spaces for people attending.
If the move allows Benson to provide more opportunities for the growth and enrichment of African Americans, then the principles of Kwanzaa will be fulfilled.
Other Kwanzaa celebrations
There will be other Kwanzaa celebrations in the city:
• Dec. 29, from 5-9 p.m., at the Wisconsin African American Women’s Center, 3020 W. Vliet St.
• Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with activity stations for youth, performances, food, and vendors. From 5-10 p.m., there will be African drumming and dance, a stilt walker, spoken word, and a keynote speaker, also at the Women’s Center.
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