Kwanzaa 2009 at African Burial Ground

Date: December 16, 2009
Contact: Mindi Rambo, 212-668-2208

New York, NY— Celebrate Kwanzaa on Dec. 29 with the National Park Service (NPS). Kwanzaa is a week long African American holiday observed from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, which focuses on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce and self improvement. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase, "matunda ya kwana" which means, "first fruits" in Swahili.

Celebrating Kwanzaa

Enjoy a day filled with family-friendly activities as the African Burial Ground National Monument observes the principles of Kwanzaa and shares the history of the burial ground. The visitor center and memorial will be open all day with a series of family-oriented programming. Explore your creativity through a series of daytime and evening programs and events.

• There will be an arts and crafts workshop where participants will explore the ways that individual and collective artistic expressions can be made through a variety of materials. This workshop will begin at 3 p.m.
• Songhai Djeli will take listeners on a musical journey at 6 p.m. Visualize and participate in the expressiveness of African music through an interactive drumming presentation.
• There will also be a dance performance by students from Impact Repertory Theater at
  7 p.m.

All event and activities are free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

If you would like more information or to make reservations for the Kwanzaa Celebration please call [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/afbg.

About African Burial Ground National Monument

One of the most significant archaeological finds in U.S. History, the African Burial Ground is a 17^th- and 18^th-century cemetery that was rediscovered in 1991 when construction began on a federal office building in lower Manhattan. In 1993, the site was preserved as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior and was later designated as a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation on Feb. 27, 2006. The National Monument is part of an original 7-acre site containing the remains of approximately 15,000 people, making it the largest African cemetery excavated in North America.

How to Get There: The 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). The M15, M22 and B51 City Hall bus routes all terminate within walking distance, and the M1 and M6 South Ferry route passes nearby. Ask the driver for the stop closest to Broadway and Duane Street.