Brooklyn Children’s Museum will host a five-day-long event this month for children to learn about the traditions of Kwanzaa through interactive workshops, live performances and engaging art projects.
Held from Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Dec. 30, Celebrate Kwanzaa is New York City’s largest Kwanzaa event for families, according to the museum. Celebrate Kwanzaa is presented in partnership with the Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation.
The theme this year will be “Hip-Hop Kwanzaa,” to commemorate the music genre's 50th anniversary. Kwanzaa and hip-hop were created with the principals of unity and healing the community and the celebration’s activities will allow families to explore the seven principles of Kwanzaa through a hip-hop lens, said Atiba T. Edwards, the museum's president.
“Brooklyn Children’s Museum is proud to present Celebrate Kwanzaa for its 16th consecutive year, held in partnership with the renowned Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation,” said Edwards. “This year’s festival combines the dynamic energy of hip-hop with the rich traditions of Kwanzaa, featuring an exciting lineup of break dance performances, interactive graffiti workshops, and more. Kwanzaa is a time for uniting communities and we look forward to welcoming families to BCM for a celebration that not only nurtures a connection to cultural heritage but also fosters a strong sense of community and unity among our young visitors.”
Festivities throughout the five days will include "The Hip Hop Kingdom" performances by the Asase Yaa ensemble, break dance performances, candle celebrations, hip-hop dance and music classes, and graffiti art workshops.
"The Hip Hop Kingdom" is a story about Jaquan Smith, a young man who wants to be a rapper, but allows negativity to influence his style as a rap artist. Jaquan has had a difficult life, with an absentee father, a negligent mother and grew up surrounded by poverty. He expresses these negative experiences in his music. The iconic elders of the hip-hop community take him on a journey through the hip-hop kingdom to show him that there is a better way to express himself through rap. The elders expose him to hip-hop’s rich history of delivering a positive message.
“We’re very excited to be collaborating with Brooklyn Children’s Museum in celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop and Kwanzaa by presenting live performances of our original musical, 'The Hip Hop Kingdom,'" said Kofi Osei Williams, executive director of the Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation.
'The Hip Hop Kingdom' pays homage to the major impact of hip-hop as a unique and culture-shaping genre that was created in New York City, said Williams, who wrote and produced the musical. "In the play, we explore the history of hip-hop as a medium for social protest and community building while learning about the four pillars of hip-hop: rapping, DJing, dancing, and graffiti art,” he said.
Celebrate Kwanzaa will take place Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Dec. 30 during regular museum hours, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.brooklynkids.org/kwanzaa.
