Originally scheduled for Saturday on Main Street, the Kuumba Festival was moved to Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the I. Ellis Johnson Community Center. While several vendors and performers could not accommodate the shift, spectators still found plenty to enjoy
Stephanie Walcott | The Laurinburg Exchange
Originally scheduled for Saturday on Main Street, the Kuumba Festival was moved to Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the I. Ellis Johnson Community Center. While several vendors and performers could not accommodate the shift, spectators still found plenty to enjoy
Stephanie Walcott | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — A threat of rainy weather pushed Laurinburg’s 35th Kuumba Festival indoors and back a day, but the change of plans did little to dampen the crowd’s spirit on Sunday afternoon.
Originally scheduled for Saturday on Main Street, the festival was moved to Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. at the I. Ellis Johnson Community Center. While several vendors and performers could not accommodate the shift, spectators still found plenty to enjoy — from soul food and baked goods to live music, dancing and cultural performances.
Food trucks served barbecue, collard sandwiches, chicken wings, hot dogs, ice cream and more, while other vendors offered cakes, cookies, brownies, pork skins and lemonade. Product vendors displayed jewelry, T-shirts, tote bags, handbags, hats, CDs and children’s devotional books.
Community groups also had a strong presence. Attendees could register to vote, learn about Scotland County’s new “Let’s Talk” mental health program, or pick up health education materials from the county health department and Scotland Health Care. Total Women’s Outreach Center distributed bags with toilet paper and food items such as rice, soup, canned chicken and cookies.
Performances included the Umoja Dance and Drumming Troupe, gospel singer Tariq Harris, teenage dancer Mr. Q, the 910 Steppers of Elizabethtown, spoken word artists and several line dance groups. All shows took place in the gymnasium.
During the opening ceremony, Pastor Darrel Gibson reminded the audience of Kuumba’s meaning.
“It asks us to do our best to leave our communities more beautiful and better off than we found them. It is a way to celebrate the creativity of African culture,” Gibson said.
The festival was sponsored by the Scotland County African American Heritage Committee.
Kwanzaa was established in 1966 by African American author and activist Dr. Maulana Karenga as a secular celebration of African heritage. Its seven principles — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith — are traditionally honored Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Many communities, however, hold Kuumba festivals earlier in the year to spotlight African American creativity.