BSA Helps Celebrate Kwanzaa At School

At yesterday's Black Students Association-sponsored Kwanzaa celebration in a local elementary school, one child couldn't sit still.

When Brothers, a division of Kuumba Singers, came to the stage of the Martin Luther King Elementary School, one boy from the audience of 150 first to fourth graders followed them.

"This kid just came up to them, and asked 'Can I sing with you?" BSA historian David W. Brown '97 said. "So they rehearsed, and he got up on stage and sang 'In the Still of the Night' with them."

BSA members said this was just one part of the enthusiastic reaction they received to their presentation at Martin Luther King Elementary School. Approximately 30 BSA members attended in order to educate students about Kwanzaa, the cultural holiday for African-Americans, according to Brown, who is a Crimson editor.

In the first part of the assembly, BSA members explained the meaning of Kwanzaa and its seven principles: faith, purpose, creativity, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, unity and self-determination.

"We acted out skits that demonstrated the seven different principles of Kwanzaa, [and] explained that Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, but people of all religions could participate in it," Brown said.

In addition to the skits, Brothers thrilled the students with Gospel tunes, said Alison L. Moore '97, vice president of the BSA.

After the presentation, there was a party for the youngsters where BSA members finally got a chance "to interact with them one-on-one," Brown said.

BSA leaders said the event was a success in educating students about the cultural holiday.

"It turned out wonderfully; they all were very receptive," Moore said. "They came up afterwards and told us how much they enjoyed it."

"There was a lot of involvement by BSA members and they were really enthusiastic about working with the kids," Brown added. "I think we held the kids' attention really well."

The event also had some corporate support. McDonald's and Star Market donated money to host the celebration, Moore said.

Kwanzaa, a seven-day holiday highlighting African heritage and first celebrated in 1965, begins later in the month and ends on New Year's Day, Brown said.