Over the years, confusion has arisen over this holiday, some thinking it was an African holiday, some melding it with Christmas since it begins the day after. Truth is, Kwanzaa is based on broad-based African traditions–the sense of collective work, responsibility, collective economics, for instance–but there is no Kwanzaa per se anywhere in Africa.

Kwanzaa and Christmas are also different celebrations, though some elements of Kwanzaa are in Christmas–family, sharing of gifts–Zawadi. However, the gift-giving for Kwanzaa differs from that of Christmas. Kwanzaa gift-givers are encouraged to offer handmade gifts of cultural significance, an African batakari (tunic), for instance, books and puzzles, given over the seven days of Kwanzaa.

The Seven Days of Kwanzaa, the Nguzo Saba in Swahili, begins on December 26 and ends on January 1. Each day has a name, and they are:

1. Umoja: unity
2. Kujichagulia: self-determination
3. Ujima: collective work and responsibility
4. Ujamaa: cooperative Economics
5. Nia: purpose
6. Kuumba: creativity
7. Imani: faith

Each day’s celebration is vibrant with family and friends coming together to share traditional food–hoppin’ johns, beans, jollof rice, fried plantain–stories from African-American history, family history, folklore, gifts. The biggest feast, however, occurs on the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba. The last day’s celebration ends with a shout of harambe–”Let’s work together”–seven times.

In a typical home where Kwanzaa is celebrated, a table will be set with an African cloth (usually kente.) At the center of the table will be the mkeka, the mat. Behind this mat would be set a kinara, seven-hole candle-holder, with themishumaa saba, seven candles–three red (for the struggle), three green (for the land), one black (for the people.)

A candle is lit for each day of Kwanzaa, until the last day when all seven are lit. On the mat is placed mazao–fruits, vegetables; vibunzi–ear of corn for each child in the household; and the kikombe cha umoja–unity cup from which all drink at the end of each ceremony.

Written by: Malík B.

It is easy to lecture away at the advantages of delving into the humanities, all the while never truly pursuing the goal oneself. So, in the spirit of the New Year and its refreshing sense of starting anew, I have decided to recap some of my previous points and truly take them to heart myself.

Let this list be a reminder to you as well and perhaps a starting point for creating your own!

In the year 2010, I will:

1. Learn about the foreign cultures within my own state (i.e. museums, festivals, community involvement, etc.)
2. Start to create a library of various genres for my son and daughter.
3. Speak more French to my son and daughter so that they, too, can profit from being bilingual.
4. Participate in a writing workshop.
5. Take the whole family to the theater to see a play, a musical, or a ballet.

As I have said before, it is a true luxury to live in a state that allows for a mixture of cultures and the resources to support all aspects of the humanities. Let us take advantage of and fully enjoy our heritage, traditions and languages in this New Year.

Bonne Année et Bonne Santé à tous! Happy New Year!

Written by: Béverly B.

AHF’s 2009 SUPER (School and University Partners for Educational Renewal) Teacher Program calendar concluded September 28-29 with a follow-up meeting to this summer’s teacher institute “Slavery in America: Public Amnesia, Historical Memory,” held June 28-July 3. A partnership project of AHF and the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH), with additional support provided by the Rosa Parks Museum at Troy University Montgomery and Old Town Alabama, the Institute and two-day follow-up took place in Montgomery and brought 21 elementary and secondary teachers from across the state together with 22 scholars and specialists from the ADAH to explore the history and legacy of African and African-American slavery in Alabama and the greater U.S.

Session topics included: “Slavery and Alabama’s Political and Economic Development,” “Challenges and Complexities of Teaching Slavery,” “Slavery in Africa,” “The Transatlantic Slave Trade,” “Slavery and the Atlantic World,” “The Interstate Slave Trade,” “The Amistad Story: A Literary Perspective,” “The Master/Slave Relationship,” “Day-to-day Life and Resistance in the Slave South,” “Enslaved Women,” “Slavery in the City,” “Textiles and Technology,” “Abolition and the Proslavery Argument,” “Slavery and the Civil War,” “Emancipation and Reconstruction,” “The Struggle for Civil Rights: The Unfinished Civil War.”

Additionally, there was a panel discussion addressing how myth becomes fact, a tour of significant sites in downtown Montgomery, and seven workshops focusing on practical applications and integrating primary sources in the classroom. Participants received CEUs, numerous texts, which were assigned readings prior to the summer Institute, CD Powerpoints of almost all sessions and a CD of historic documents and artifacts from the ADAH’s vast holdings.

Thanks to the passionate and dynamic teachers and presenters who made SUPER 2009 a success on multiple levels. Special thanks to lead scholar, Timothy R. Buckner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Troy University; Ed Bridges, Ph.D., Director, ADAH; Susan DuBose, Education Specialist, ADAH; and Georgette Norman, Director, Rosa Parks Museum, Troy University Montgomery.

A second, weeklong SUPER Teacher Institute was held in Birmingham. The Institute, “American Literature: From the Puritans to the Civil War,” held July 13-17, was led by Gale Temple, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English, UAB. Two one-day immersion workshops for French (Birmingham, June 16) and Spanish (Huntsville, July 30) language teachers, were conducted by Catherine Danielou, Ph.D., Associate Professor of French and Associate Dean, UAB School of Arts and Humanities, and Barbara Domcekova, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spanish, Birmingham-Southern College, respectively.

Annually, AHF conducts 2-3 weeklong institutes and 2-4 one-day workshops in various locations around the state, serving 80-120 teachers. For more information on SUPER, click here. To learn of SUPER 2010 institutes, be sure to read AHF’s Winter/Spring issue of Mosaic.

Written by: Thomas B.

When you do something over and over again, like go to the fair, it’s easier to look back on life. Fairs have the same rides they’ve always had, same food, same smells. I like this fact. Yet, I found myself afraid to get on the Gravitron, which I owned in fifth grade. A candy apple seemed like too much of a hassle. Instead, I paid $1 to see a ginormous pig, and enjoyed petting goats and cows. This fair had a kangaroo and a camel. I wasn’t impressed. The piglets, however, really wowed me, and the bumper cars, an unexpected plus.

Because of the culture crosses, and opportunities to learn about our neighbors and ourselves, I say going to the fair gives a fair view of the humanities. Fair enough?

The fair offers a unique view of culture–albeit a bit dizzied. (Ride the Tilt-O-Whirl and you’ll know what I mean.) It, too, provides certain exposures–I, for one, encountered lots of different languages on my recent visit, both verbal and non. I learned there is a universal get-me-off-this-ride-right-now look, and similar tastes across ethnicities. At the fair, it seems we share a lot with those around us: long lines, fears, excitements, and, as the naysayers would point out, germs.

Because of the culture crosses, and opportunities to learn about our neighbors and ourselves, I say going to the fair gives a fair view of the humanities. Fair enough? It lacks a little in the academic and scholarly categories, to be sure. The fair, however, is about as true as it gets. In the chaotic mass that it is, somehow, a figurative gap is closed. There are no rose-colored glasses at the fair. We see society in its simplest form. All in all, if the humanities explore what it means to be human, well then, a lot can be learned at a fair.

In such a dirty place, I found the purest thing. It wasn’t the air, that’s for sure, nor the Port-O-Potty I was forced to visit. It was the chance to learn, and the consistency. These places never change. May they always stay the dilapidated, confused mix of society that they are. If so, I’ll keep coming back. I owe it to the nice man running the mini pony rides, who, when I asked if I was too big to give it a go, said, “No, the pony’s just too small.” Truth is, I am too big. The ponies have always been mini. And I doubt they’ll be changing anytime soon.

Written by: Katie C.

However, this is not the same or as easy an experience for my 4-year-old son. We only travel to France to visit my family every other year. So, he does not get the benefit of hearing the language every day, everywhere, and from everyone. It is up to me to speak to him consistently all the time. At this point, he understands me for the most part when I speak French to him, but, there is no real incentive for him to speak it back to me since we live here–in America. I’m still working with him on that part.

Being bilingual myself and having used this ability in my past and current job positions, I truly wish the same advantages for my son. I also know, however, that the learning capability of a foreign language for a child gets more and more difficult the older the child gets. Scientific research shows that the “window of opportunity” for learning a language is from birth to age 12. So, I’ve implemented some rules at home that help me (because I do need the support) to keep French around him as much as possible. For instance, my son watches all of his cartoons and Disney movies in the French version.

Being bilingual myself and having used this ability in my past and current job positions, I truly wish the same advantages for my son.

Obviously, French is not the only foreign language of interest out there, so I’ve listed below a couple language programs and materials available to you and to your children both online and locally here in Alabama.

• Muzzy, the BBC Language Course for Children. (I can personally vouch for this program! I remember watching these videos when I was very young to learn English.) This is the #1 language course for children and is available in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian and English (ESL). Muzzy uses the simple methodology of repetition through animated stories and songs. It provides a natural immersion approach with visual, musical, aural and contextual language, all the while keeping the child captivated and engaged. For more information, visit www.early-advantage.com.
• Huntsville Chinese Village, 904 Bob Wallace Avenue, Suite 127, Huntsville.
  Their programs include language classes for children of all ages. There is a “Parent-Toddler” class designed for young children, ages 3 to 5 years, with creative movement, games, nursery rhymes and songs. Next, there is a “Child” class for children 6 years and up with stamped and picture flashcards as part of the materials. There is also a program called “Together” with four learning levels for a parent and child (8 years old and up) to learn the Chinese language together. For more information, visit www.huntsvillechinesevillage.com.
• There is also an online nationwide directory (search engine by zip code) of foreign language programs available for children of all ages. The foreign languages search options includes German, Italian, Spanish, ESL, Immersion Schools, Mandarin Chinese, etc. For more information, visit www.totclasses.com.

Thankfully, there are a number of resources we, as parents, can use to introduce our children to a foreign language–whether it be for pure entertainment, cultural growth, interaction with your foreign speaking family, or simply for that competitive edge career-wise down the road.

Written by: Béverly B.

One of the first things I did when I moved to Alabama was search for a French association or group, where I could meet some Francophiles and get a little taste of home. Now for me, this was a balm to sooth home sickness. But for others, it may be the perfect environment to learn about a different culture and how it blends into the nation we live in.

It is a true luxury to live in a state that allows for a mixture of cultures. You don’t have to go far to enjoy diverse tradition and language.

With the economy as is it and the tighter pocket book, it’s just not that easy to justify buying a plane ticket overseas for pure enjoyment right now. At least, it isn’t easy for me. So it is a true luxury to live in a state that allows for a mixture of cultures. You don’t have to go far to enjoy diverse tradition and language. Here are a few places you can visit and groups you can join should you want a little taste of foreign culture. Enjoy!

• Friday Foreign Film Festival / Free Friday Foreign Films
  1240 O’Brig Avenue, Guntersville, Alabama
  All films are shown at the Guntersville Public Library.
  For more information call (256) 571-7595 or e-mail books@guntersvillelibrary.org
• Alabama Shakespeare Festival
  1 Festival Drive, Montgomery, Alabama
  This is the 6th largest Shakespeare festival in the world, and it produces 14 world-class productions annually. Some of the classics include works by William Shakespeare, Moliére, George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder and Eugene O’Neill.
  For more information visit asf.net.
• Condé-Charlotte Museum House
  104 Theatre Street, Mobile, Alabama
  This museum is furnished with period antiques that illustrate Mobile’s French, English, Spanish, Confederate and American history.
  For more information visit condecharlottemuseum.com.
• Huntsville Chinese Village
  904 Bob Wallace Avenue, Suite 127, Huntsville, Alabama
  This program, beyond providing language instruction, also offers exposure to Chinese culture through activities and social gatherings–including Chinese calligraphy, field trips and community involvement in Chinese cultural holidays.
  For more information visit huntsvillechinesevillage.com.
• Alliance Francaise of Birmingham–Affiliated with Alliance Francaise USA
  Birmingham, Alabama
  This association was founded by Birmingham Francophiles and promotes the study of French through organization of social and cultural events and French language classes.
  For more information visit afbirmingham.org.

You can also check out frenchculture.org for ongoing shows and exhibits in Alabama.

Alabama is truly full of culture (easily accessible too!) throughout its entire state. It’s really just a matter of researching your interests. Google is my personal favorite–I’d be lost without it. So, enjoy the list I’ve started for you, but please don’t stop here. I’m sure you will be able to find something to satisfy any of your cultural curiosities!

Written by: Béverly B.