Kwanzaa Celebration at Park Will Pay Tribute to Elders

A special tribute to the community’s elders will be part of a Kwanzaa celebration tonight hosted by the San Fernando Valley Section of the National Council of Negro Women.

The celebration will be held in the recreation center at Hubert H. Humphrey Memorial Park, which serves as a children’s center during the week, said Valerie Moody, historian for the NCNW.

“The reason we’re having it in the children’s center is because the children need to know about our culture,” she said. “This year, we’re having a special tribute to our elders. They will be recognized because we learn our history from them. [The recognition] will be like saying we appreciate you, we respect you. “

Certificates decorated with pictures and poems will be presented to the community’s senior adults, said Moody, who organized the event. Candles will be lighted by various community members--including local teachers and representatives of the NAACP--as part of the traditional kinara-lighting ceremony.

The candles represent the seven principles that are at the heart of Kwanzaa. They include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, said Moody.

The evening will also include a performance by Chris Tate and the Southern California Youth Alive Choir, a children’s fashion show, storytelling, and an African marketplace with handmade crafts and jewelry. Participants are asked to contribute to the potluck dinner.

Moody said she hopes about 200 community members will attend the event, which marks the 30th anniversary of Kwanzaa, she said. The celebration is the first hosted by the Valley chapter of NCNW.

“We’re aiming to make it an annual community event,” Moody said.

The Kwanzaa Fellowship Celebration will be held from 6 to 10 tonight inside the recreation center at the park, 12560 Filmore St., Pacoima. Admission is $10, $5 for senior adults, and $2 for children 12 and younger. For information, call (818) 899-3445.