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News Release Date: December 7, 2015 New York – Celebrate Kwanzaa on Saturday, December 26, 2015 at African Burial Ground National Monument in lower Manhattan. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration based on traditional African culture and values observed from December 26 through January 1. The holiday celebrates family, community responsibility, commerce and self-improvement. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwana,” a Swahili term meaning “first fruits.” Enjoy a day filled with family-friendly activities at New York City’s African Burial Ground. Activities include: music, dance and spoken word performances; a lecture on regenerating African spirituality; a crafts workshop; a libation ceremony, and; the lighting of the kinara (candleholder). All activities are free and open to the public on a first come, first served basis. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/afbg or call (212) 637-2019. ABOUT AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND NATIONAL MONUMENT One of the most significant archaeological finds in U.S. History, New York City’s African Burial Ground was rediscovered in 1991 when construction began on a federal office building in lower Manhattan. The National Park Service site is part of an original 6.6-acre site containing the remains of approximately 15,000 people, buried in the 17th and 18th century, making it the largest African cemetery excavated in North America. The cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and as a National Monument on February 27, 2006. How to Get There: African Burial Ground National Monument is located at 290 Broadway, 1st Floor. The 4, 5, 6,R, W, J, M and Z trains (Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall) are one block from the site, the A train is three blocks away (Chambers Street) and the 1 train is 4 blocks away (Chambers Street) and the 2 and 3 trains are 2 blocks away (Park Place). The A, C and E are 3 blocks away (Chambers/World Trade Center). |
Last updated: February 1, 2016