By Laura Salinger
It’s December again. While Christmas and New Year’s celebrations tend to dominate this time of year, there are other notable
celebrations that bring people together to share in the spirit of unity. One such celebration is Kwanzaa-a seven-day African
American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates culture, community, and family.
Created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a political activist and author, Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan.1) has been celebrated by
African Americans for four decades. The past two years, however, have marked a community-wide celebration open to all
Madison residents. This non-religious family event will be held this year on Dec. 29 from 1-3 p.m. at Olbrich Botanical
Gardens and will feature dancing, drumming, singing, and lighting of the Kwanzaa candles.
Long-time Madison resident and community activist Edith Hilliard organized the annual event last year and plans to continue
with an annual Kwanzaa celebration in subsequent years. Her goal is to enhance at-home Kwanzaa celebrations by
developing a community-wide event that draws together a diverse audience.
“[Organizing a Kwanzaa celebration] has been a dream of mine for quite sometime,” Hilliard said. “A lot of people celebrate
Kwanzaa, but it is really important for me that the community sees what Kwanzaa is all about.”
The name Kwanzaa was derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits” in Swahili. First-fruit celebrations
date back to ancient African history in places like Egypt and Nubia. Kwanzaa is organized around five fundamental activities
common to other African first-fruit celebrations: the ingathering of family, friends, and community; reverence for the creator
and creation; commemoration of the past; recommitment to the highest cultural ideals of the African community; and
celebration of the “Good of Life.”
The Official Kwanzaa Website asserts that Kwanzaa “was created to reaffirm and restore rootedness in African culture” and “to
be an ingathering to strengthen community and reaffirm common identity, purpose and direction as a people and a world
community.” Kwanzaa is comprised of seven principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective
Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
The local celebration of Kwanzaa will feature traditional activities such as lighting of the seven Kwanzaa candles by poet and
activist Fabu Mogaka and a libation ceremony, as well as performances that are uniquely Madison. Harry Bernard III, Hilliard’s
grandson, will perform a Kwanzaa rap and Mt. Zion Baptist Church dancers will perform. An oral history of Kwanzaa will
connect first-time celebrants with the holiday and a group of drummers will set the pulse for this joyous occasion.
Hilliard stresses that while the event is rooted in African American and African culture, it is open to people of all ethnicities,
cultures, and races. In fact, that is part of the goal behind creating a community-wide event; she wants to introduce a large
and diverse group to Kwanzaa.
“It is important for the whole community to come out because it helps everyone learn about the African American culture,”
Hilliard said.
Hilliard is from a long line of African Americans that have lived in Wisconsin. Her family has been in this state for seven
generations and she has three children, as well as eleven grandchildren, in the area. She is well known in the community and
has provided leadership and service to numerous area organizations including Women in Focus, Wisconsin Women of Color
Network, YWCA Board of Directors, Dane County Minority Affairs Commission, United Way of Dane County, and Olbrich
Botanical Gardens. This past January, she received the coveted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recognition award for her leadership
and commitment to community service. She was given the award, according to Dane County, because “she embodies the
vision and commitment Dr. King had; to make the world around us a better place for people of all races. Like King, Edith has
had to overcome many difficult circumstances in her life, but still found the time and the will to love and contribute to the
community in which she lives.”
For Hilliard, contributing to her community is a way of life that has been passed down in her family for generations.
“My grandmother always told me, ‘You can’t just live in a community, you have to be involved in the community and have an
active voice,’” Hilliard said. “I hope that my children and grandkids walk in my footsteps and keep this idea alive.”
Hilliard’s latest community contribution, the Kwanzaa celebration at Olbrich, is another legacy that she can pass down to her
children. It is also a very unique way for the community to come together and celebrate a vibrant and rich culture in Madison.
The Community Kwanzaa Celebration is from 1-3 p.m. on Dec. 29 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (3330 Atwood Ave., Madison,
WI). For more information about the Community Kwanzaa Celebration call 608-249-7155. Admission is free, but limited
seating is on a first come, first serve basis.
Edith Hilliard interview
What Kwanzaa is all about
What Kwanzaa is all about
Edith Hilliard