A “joyful occasion of proudly looking back and anticipating a prosperous future” for African Americans and their allies was promised and delivered last Saturday by the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center in New Paltz, commemorating the seven-day holiday of Kwanzaa. The Redeemer Lutheran Church hosted the three-hour community celebration, which was open to all. Spirits ran high as a procession led by young drummers launched the festival, after which MWL Center president Esi Lewis, various board members and volunteers welcomed the guests, shared inspirational readings and discussed the themes of Kwanzaa.
The Center’s founding mission — to restore the Ann Oliver House at 5 Broadhead Avenue and transform it into the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Black History Cultural Center — was also much discussed. The two-story frame house was in disrepair and slated for demolition when Stewart’s Shops bought the property with plans to build a new store next door, on Route 32 North. But after the building’s fascinating history came to light, the corporation was persuaded to donate it to the Town of New Paltz for preservation.
It was constructed in 1885 by Jacob Wynkoop, a free Black landowner who built many homes for Black residents of New Paltz and helped create an enclave in the Town for the descendants of people who had once been enslaved there. Built for Ann Oliver, the widow of a fellow Black veteran of the Union Army, it’s one of very few surviving examples of Wynkoop’s works. Seeking a tenant who would honor the building’s historical legacy, the Town accepted Esi Lewis’ proposal to create a not-for-profit organization to raise funds for the restoration of the Ann Oliver House, eventually to be used as a cultural center (https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2021/12/16/black-cultural-center-to-be-sited-in-new-paltzs-oliver-house).
Lewis, an attorney and a Town Board member, is the daughter of Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis, who was a faculty member at SUNY New Paltz for 36 years and had a distinguished career as a scholar and author. She came on board in 1974 as an associate professor of Linguistics and Literature in the Department of Black Studies, later becoming the department chair. A well-respected and beloved teacher, she developed a powerful reputation for recruiting, mentoring and supporting students of color; in 1988 she helped found the college’s Scholars Mentorship Program, ultimately becoming the director. She remained active up until a few days before her death from cancer at the end of 2009. SUNY-New Paltz still operates a scholarship endowment for students of color in her name.
As it happened, this past Saturday, December 30, was the 14th anniversary of Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis’ passing. But it was also the fifth day of Kwanzaa: fittingly, the day dedicated to Nia, a Swahili word meaning “purpose.” First celebrated in the US in 1966, in the aftermath of the Watts riots, Kwanzaa was the brainchild of Black Power activist Maulana Karenga, inspired by African harvest festival traditions from various parts of west and southeast Africa. The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits.”
Each day of the celebration highlights one of the Nguzo Saba or seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja or unity, Kujichagulia or self-determination, Ujima or collective work and responsibility, Ujamaa or cooperative economics, Nia or purpose, Kuumba or creativity and Imani or faith. Significantly, all emphasize community cooperation over individual goals. The presentation at Saturday’s Community Kwanzaa Celebration in New Paltz included a slideshow explaining the symbols and rituals associated with the holiday, prepared by the Future Teachers of Color at SUNY.
Next, Esi Lewis, board members and volunteers took turns lighting candles to place in a candelabra representing the African homeland, known as the Kinara, and reading an inspirational quote from Black leaders and thinkers associated with each principle. The Umoja candle representing the people is black and is lit first, Lewis noted, recalling the African proverb that says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go quickly, go together.” Nia, Ujima and Imani have green candles representing land and Kujichagulia, Ujamaa and Kuumba have red candles representing struggle. The Kinara, along with ears of corn representing children as the seeds of the future, is set on a woven mat called a Mkeka; the mat used in Saturday’s ritual had been owned by Margaret Wade-Lewis herself.
The Kwanzaa celebration also typically involves the exchange of handmade gifts, dancing and a shared meal. Children attending Saturday’s event took part in a crafts workshop during part of the proceedings and came back with Kwanzaa art for their families. At the end, chairs and tables were pushed back so that Drew Andrews of the Center for Creative Education in Kingston could teach the group an easy celebratory dance called the Kwanzaa Slide. “We want to end on a high note, and my high note is normally getting people to move,” Andrews said as the dance got underway.
The celebration ended with a buffet potluck lunch of dishes prepared by volunteers – not to mention plenty of socializing, hugs and reconnecting with friends. As Esi Lewis put it, “That’s what Kwanzaa’s about: sharing the traditions, enjoying each other.”
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