Creativity is brought to forefront at Kuumba Festival

LAURINBURG — “Asé … Asé … Asé.”

“Asé really means Amen,” said Tyris Jones, Scotland County’s resident storyteller, as he led a crown of attendees of the Kuumba Festival in a libation ceremony. Jones said the ceremony, which included chanting “Asé” as he poured purified water was done to honor their African ancestors.

“Today I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who struggled, those who shed blood, those who worked hard for me to be standing here today,” Jones said.

Sunshine dominated the skies Saturday during the Kuumba Festival held by the African American Heritage Committee Inc. The festival is in its 32nd year.

At the event, several food and craft vendors lined the rear of the I.E. Johnson Community Center, where the festival was held. But, the vendors served as a backdrop to the main purpose of the event which was to celebrate the creativity among African Americans throughout Scotland County. Jones led the crowd in song and dance, while others performed talents throughout the day.

“The Lord has given each of us some gifts, some abilities that we are able to be creative and that’s what we’re here today to celebrate,” said Darrel “BJ” Gibson,

For the second year in a row, the Kuumba Festival was held at the I.E. Johnson Community Center but what made this year’s event more significant was the fact that the facility is now open and functional. At last year’s festival, a plaque was unveiled detailing the historical significance of the facility, originally established as Lincoln Heights School in 1953 and later named the I. Ellis Johnson High School, then I. Ellis Johnson Elementary School. The school was the first public high school for African Americans in Scotland County.

“Go in it today and the come back, come back and come back and use I.E. Johnson. We’re not done with the facility, we’re not done with the parking lot, we’re not done with the grounds. We’re going to make it truly, truly great so please come back,” said April Snead, the Scotland County manager.

The event also served as a source of information as reflected in several informational booths showcasing local resources like information on health care and voter registration and photo identification assistance.

A Long March for Unity and Justice was held in conjunction with the festival, where participants marched 1.5 miles from the A.B. Gibson Center to the grounds of the festival. Support for public schools was just one of the issues the participants said they were marching for.

“If we are to change the schools of Scotland County it’s going to be because we come together and it takes such things as this to come together and recognize everyone to bring it back to the schools,” said Adell Baldwin, the superintendent for Scotland County Schools.

Kuumba is the sixth principal of Kwanzaa, which is a celebration of African-American culture, typically held Dec. 26-Jan. 1.