On SundayDecember 31, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, observers honor the sixth principle, Kuumba which means creativity.
Kuumba is the commitment to being creative within the context of the national community vocation of restoring our people to their traditional greatness and thus leaving our community more beneficial and beautiful than we inherited it. The principle has both a social and spiritual dimension and is deeply rooted in social and sacred teachings of African societies.
Kuumba: “To do always as much as we can in the way that we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it.”
For Brooklyn steel pan artist and tennis instructor Adrian Clarke, using his creative skills to teach and inspire is the way the makes a difference in his community.
Growing up in Barbados, Clarke surrounded himself with two things: tennis and music.
The 67-year-old East Flatbush local now works as the director of the Prospect Park Tennis Center by day. But by night, he’s a steel pan drum player.
“When you're playing music, usually everyone is smiling,” Clarke said. “You usually bring joy to a lot of people, and that's the best part of it.”
Long before learning to play steel pan, Clarke began playing tennis in Barbados at the age of 12 and went on to play professionally, competing in the 1983 U.S. Open qualifying rounds.
Clark's two passions play a huge role in his life, and often their significance overlaps, the Brooklynite said.
“You’re bringing joy to people when you're playing music,” he said. “When you're teaching tennis to people, you’re also bringing something to them that they really need.”
To read more about how Clarke uses his personal creative skills to exemplify kuumba, go here.
Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 26, and for the seven days of Kwanzaa, BK Reader will feature a different local resident or organization that exemplifies one of the seven principles!
