African American residents of Flossmoor, including village and school district officials, lit the Kinara in Flossmoor Park every night of Kwanzaa from Dec. 26 until Jan. 1. Kwanzaa is the annual, week-long holiday that honors African American and Pan-African culture, history, community and values. Village administrative assistant Torria Sparkmon lit[Read More…]
Tag: Kwanzaa
Roberson, Harris team up for night 7 Kwanzaa ceremony
Evan Roberson, a sixth grader at Parker Junior High, and Flossmoor resident Leonard Harris teamed up on Jan. 1 to handle the ceremonial duties for the last night of Kwanzaa. Stephanie Wright, Flossmoor community engagement manager, introduced Evan, who was honored by Mayor Michelle Nelson and the Board of Trustees in June[Read More…]
Brown family serves as candle lighters for 6th night of Kwanzaa
Robert Brown, left, and his family lit the kinara on the sixth night of Kwanzaa. The theme of the night was Kuumba, or creativity, which reminds people to “do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial[Read More…]
St. Veronica’s children light the kinara on night 4 of Kwanzaa
On Dec. 29, Kwanzaa celebrations were in full swing at Flossmoor Park with the lighting of the town’s kinara by children from St. Veronica’s Parish in Flossmoor to commemorate the fourth night of the seven-day holiday. The theme for the fourth night, Ujamaa, means cooperative economics in Swahili. The celebration[Read More…]
Kwanzaa night 3: Evita McNeil-Dobson talks community collective responsibility
A small crowd gathered at Flossmoor Park on Dec. 28, the rainy third night of Kwanzaa, to celebrate the Ujima principle. The kinara was lit by Flossmoor Hills Elementary School Principal Evita McNeil-Dobson who spoke on how Ujima is important in every aspect of the H-F community, especially within education. [Read More…]
Amabel Crawford lights the Kwanzaa candle on the 2nd night
Before lighting the second candle on Flossmoor’s kinara on Dec. 27, Amabel Crawford, director of learning and instruction for Flossmoor School District 161, offered a few remarks about what Kwanzaa means to her. She said Kwanza is a time for her and her family to “reaffirm our values, how we[Read More…]
District 161 superintendent lights candle on 1st night of Kwanzaa to celebrate unity
Flossmoor School District 161 Superintendent Dana Smith said he was honored to light the first candle on the kinara in Flossmoor Park on Tuesday, Dec. 26, in part because the theme of the first night, umoja, or unity, is a value the district focuses on promoting with students. “We spend[Read More…]
Kwanzaa Night 7: Marianne Powell closes Flossmoor’s weeklong celebration after yearlong journey
Marianne Powell promised herself she would not get emotional, but she paused for just a moment as she started to tell her story. The past year, after all, was a year of change for Powell. And she was about to address a small crowd gathered at Flossmoor Park on the[Read More…]
Kwanzaa Night 1: Loftons help community recognize unity
The principle on the first night of Kwanzaa is umoji, or unity, and Flossmoor Trustee George Lofton and his wife, Felecia, led the candle lighting ceremony in Flossmoor Park on Dec. 26 to celebrate how the concept defines the village. Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson introduced them. “Kwanzaa is a great[Read More…]
Flossmoor’s Mitchell family lights kinara on Night 2 of Kwanzaa, celebrating self-determination
During the second night of Flossmoor’s public celebration of Kwanzaa, the Principle being celebrated was Kujichagulia, or Self-Determination. And Mayor Michelle Nelson said she was happy the village’s Mitchell family was there to lead the festivities on Tuesday, Dec. 27. “I’m so honored that you would pick this night, because[Read More…]
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