Kwanzaa 2024

About Kwanzaa

Observed from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa is a vibrant holiday rooted in African traditions and African American culture.

It's a time to reflect on the "Nguzo Saba," or "Seven Principles":

• UMOJA | Unity - To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race
• KUJICHAGULIA | Self-Determination - To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves
• UJIMA | Collective Work & Responsibility - To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together
• UJAMAA | Cooperative Economics - To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together
• NIA | Purpose - To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness
• KUUMBA | Creativity - 
  To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it
• IMANI | Faith - To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle

The Nguzo Saba guide our celebrations throughout the week. Celebrations have included traditional African drumming and dance, storytelling, spoken word performances, educational workshops, and family-friendly activities illuminating the significance of Kwanzaa's cultural heritage.

Visitors can also explore the museum's exhibitions and learn more about the historical and cultural roots that inspire this holiday.

2024 Celebration

This year, celebrate with our in-person and digital events. Daily visit our social page and website for short videos to support your celebrations at home or with others in the community. We also hope you can join us for some of the in-person events downtown and at the museum!

December 26 | UMOJA: Unity

We encourage members and visitors to join us as we join Alkebu-lan Village, Councilman Scott Benson, and the City of Detroit, the Downtown Partnership for the third annual lighting of the Motor City Kinara.  

For more information visit Motor City Kwanzaa Celebration and Kinara Lighting - Downtown Detroit Partnership 

December 27 | KUJICHAGULIA: Self Determination

6:00pm – 8:00pm

“Nanou Djiapo” which literally means Keep Together as a culturally related, and traditionally bonded, artistic family. The group is widely known and admired as one of the premier Youth & Young adult African Drum & Dance groups locally and abroad, and is constantly in demand to perform. 

About Nanou Djiapo:

“Nanou Djiapo” which literally means Keep Together as a culturally related, and traditionally bonded, artistic family. The group is widely known and admired as one of the premier Youth & Young adult African Drum & Dance groups locally and abroad, and is constantly in demand to perform. 

December 28 | UJIMA: Collective Work & Responsibility

Join us for a day at The Wright Museum as we host a series of family friendly Kwanzaa related activities for all ages. We will also host an intergenerational panel discussion.  

Schedule

• 12:00pm – 4:00 PM Family Activities
• 2:00pm – 4:00 PM Intergenerational Panel Discussion

 

Panelists:

Njia Kai

As co-founder and senior producer of NKSK Events + Production, NJIA KAI directs and curates major public events and cultural arts projects in the city of Detroit. Her focus on community enrichment and placemaking initiatives engages her expertise in a wide variety of civic and community projects. She also directs arts-based summer and after-school programs for city youth activating her philosophy that arts and culture are vital to healthy youth development.

A native Detroiter, Njia is a busy wife, mother and proud grandmother.

Photo credit:  Piper Carter

 

Zubair Vernon

Founder of The Agentz, LLC–a music production and live event production company bridging urban genres together to preserve rhythms, voices and movement. Working alongside premiere producers and companies in Detroit's live entertainment scene to carry the torch for the next generation of leaders.

 

Ayo Thomas
 

Ayo Thomas is a Cultural and Natural Resource Strategist and Engagement Designer whose work is rooted in relationships— to land, to each other, and to spirit. As the founder of The Cerulean Effect, she partners with organizations in arts, culture, parks, and public spaces to design innovative installations, programs, and frameworks that connect people to their environment and one another. Guided by the principle of Sankofa, Ayo’s work honors the legacies we inherit while creating space for future generations to build their own.

A proud first-generation Detroiter, Ayo’s philosophy is simple: we don’t own legacy; we steward it. With a deep belief that history isn’t just the past but something alive in all we do, her mission is to preserve what’s valuable, ensure access, and foster connection through
joy and purpose.

Ayo holds a Master of Arts in Arts and Cultural Management from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Fisk University. Through her work, she encourages communities to honor their histories, embrace the sacred in their
shared experiences, and create ripples of impact far beyond the present.

Aminata Sow
 

Aminata B. Sow is a cultural marketing and strategy enthusiast with a passion for celebrating all things people, art, history, and culture. A proud Detroit native, she is a graduate of Cass Tech and received her Bachelors from Howard University in Finance. She's the former Director of Cultural Fluency at Dentsu Creative, a global advertising agency, where she helped brands tell authentic and diverse stories and now serves as the Associate Director of Culturally Inclusive and Relevant Marketing and Media Capabilities at Johnson & Johnson and Klickrr.

Aminata is committed to mission-driven work, focusing on preserving history and uplifting the legacy of the Diaspora, while serving on the board of a number of community based organizations and active member of the Black Slate where she is involved in local politics. You can find Aminata buried in a book at Source Booksellers, where she works part-time, running half marathons with her run club WeRun313, where she is a member of leadership, travelling or frequenting museums, libraries and cultural events around the city.

Lance Wheeler (Moderator)

Lance Wheeler serves as the Vice President of Learning & Engagement at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, where he leads a dynamic team in creating and overseeing high-quality, impactful tours and educational programs for all ages. An esteemed curator, museum practitioner, and cultural strategist, Wheeler is recognized for his influential work with organizations focused on community and civil rights. His expertise has advanced the missions of prominent institutions, including the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute, Mississippi Food System, Margaret Walker Center & C.O.F.O. Education Center, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

As the inaugural Curator of Interpretation and Curator of Exhibitions at the Two Mississippi Museums, Wheeler played a key role in building strategic partnerships, driving fundraising efforts, and delivering public presentations on topics such as race, civil rights, and African American history. He launched the 'Martin Luther King, Jr. Night of Culture,' initiated the 'R.E.A.D. – Read, Engage, and Discover' program, and organized 'History Happy Hour' events, successfully connecting with diverse audiences and strengthening community ties.

In his consulting work, Wheeler has supported the Mississippi Food Systems Fellowship as a cultural strategist and curator, helping fellows explore Black, Brown, and Indigenous histories while advancing the art of storytelling. At the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute, he has developed programs that honor the Evers' legacy, facilitated conversations on race and equity, and collaborated with various organizations to bring innovative educational methods to life.
Guided by the belief that museums are not just repositories of artifacts but spaces that link the past, present, and future, Wheeler remains a transformative leader in the museum sector, driving critical dialogue and fostering community engagement through his inclusive and forward-thinking approach.

Pastor Mbiyu Chui

Mbiyu Chui is the Pastor of the historic Shrines of the Black Madonna #1 of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church. Ordained as a minister at the age of 18, he has pastored churches in both Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas before returning to his hometown, Detroit. Pastor Chui serves the Detroit community in many capacities including: Mentor, Teacher, Community Organizer, Lecturer, Master Storyteller, just to name a few. He currently serves as Academic Administrator for Flip The Script of Goodwill Industries ( an educational recovery program for 18 – 30 yrs.); and operates one of the most influential Prison Ministry’s in Michigan, serving hundreds of inmates and their families in over a dozen MDOC Facilities for the past twelve years.

Under his leadership, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Corrections, Pastor Chui established the Youth Deterrent Program in 2011, which serves as an effective therapeutic intervention for adolescents designed to address the school-to-prison pipeline in urban areas across the country. As Director of the Pan African Ministries (PAOCC) he travels across West Africa (Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Nigeria) spreading the gospel of good news and building churches. In January, 2011 he opened a church in Monrovia, Liberia, and in 2012 two additional churches in Ganta City, Liberia. Pastor Chui is currently working on a documentary film entitled: “The Black Missionary” in conjunction with the National Swedish TV, which tells the story of Liberia, as she continues to recover from 15 years of civil war, and the impact of PAOCC Liberia.

December 29 | UJAMAA: Cooperative Economics

For our third program at the museum, join us for another special day of celebration with family friendly activities. We’ll host once again the Ujamaa Marketplace, and also feature specials in our museum store that celebrate and honor cooperative economics.  

Finally, we’ll close out our in-person celebrations with a special performance from In The Tradition jazz ensemble.  

Schedule

• 12:00pm – 5:00 PM Ujamaa Marketplace
• 12:00pm –4:00pm Family Activities
• 1:00 PM-3:00 PM In the Tradition in Concert

About In the Tradition

In the Tradition Jazz Ensemble is a Septet based in Detroit, Michigan. For close to 30 years, the band has distinguished itself for its impeccable delivery of jazz music with an African-centered perspective. In the Tradition’s performances throughout the Detroit area and the Midwest, of both original compositions and jazz standards, has earned the band respect among its peers in the music industry and a wide following. The band has recorded six CDs and its music is played over college radio jazz shows across the country, and radio stations around the globe.