Each December, kids stomp their feet and sway in brightly colored, traditional African skirts at New Bethel Baptist Church in Youngstown. They jump and bow their heads to the rhythm set by a troupe of young drummers.
The children are all a part of the Harambee Youth Organization, a local non-profit that teaches children traditional West African dance. Their movements are how the northeast Ohio community marks the first day of Kwanzaa, the week-long festival honoring African American heritage and culture.
鈥淎ll of our dance moves are expressions of different aspects of our life, of unity, of coming together,鈥� said Lynette Kimako Miller, founder of the traditional African dancing, singing and drumming group. 鈥淒ance is just a way to celebrate and bring people together.鈥�
The secular holiday, which begins every year on December 26th, has been celebrated by millions across the country since its start in 1966. Miller said the Harambee Youth Organization has ushered in the holiday in Youngstown since the organization鈥檚 inception more than four decades ago.
Connecting through culture
Miller founded the Harambee Youth Organization in the 1980s as a way to give children in Youngstown something to do. She said there weren't enough opportunities for the youth to display their talents, and she wanted to create more spaces for children to connect with one another.
鈥淭he youth are our future, and so we have to invest time and energy into our youth,鈥� Miller said.
Miller was a college student when she founded the dance troupe. She chose dances from West Africa because she wanted to help the African American community in Youngstown preserve its cultural roots.
鈥淲e try to connect Black Americans with the Caribbean and with Africa, as a part of their homeland.鈥�
Today, the organization boasts around 150 dancers, singers and drummers, ranging from elementary school children all the way up to high schoolers.
Pulling together
The mission of Miller鈥檚 youth group aligns with the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Each day of the week-long holiday celebrates a virtue: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).
This Nguzo Saba, or Black Value System, holds important lessons for Youngstown鈥檚 youth, Miller explained.
鈥淭he most important thing is that [the children] learn those principles, embrace those principles and practice those principles which will make our nation, our country, a better country.鈥�
Harambee Youth Organization鈥檚 annual Kwanzaa performance focuses on 鈥榰moja鈥�, or unity. Not only do the children have to come together in harmony to put on their performance, the community gathers around them, cheering them on and lifting them up. Even the name of Miller鈥檚 organization comes from an African Swahili word, meaning 鈥楲et's all pull together.鈥�
鈥淲e do a Harambee chant, where we hold our hands in a clutching motion and pull down seven times, saying 鈥楬arambee鈥� and hold it as long as we can,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淲hat we're doing is pulling each other together, carrying each other, lifting each other, having each other's back.鈥�
Leaving a legacy聽
Kwanzaa is just one opportunity for the Harambee performers to showcase African dance. The youth group鈥檚 performances extend year-round, touring colleges and universities all over the state. They dance in celebration of weddings, graduations and Black History Month, Miller said.
Miller estimates that thousands of children have come through their door to learn African dance and gain a greater appreciation for their cultural background.
And she doesn鈥檛 anticipate that tradition ending anytime soon.
鈥淎ll of the instructors are former members of Harambee. That's how we've been able to sustain it,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚t means something to our community because we have grandparents, parents, youth and children who have all been in Harambee for so many years.鈥�
