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WHEREAS, Harambee Ujima hosted the revival of the Harambee Ujima Black Arts and Culture Festival. Harambee Ujima is a Community Sponsored Art (CSA) venture, formed in 2001, to preserve the legacy of the original 1968 Harambee Black Arts Festival. Harambee Ujima is being brought forth by the Diversity FOOTprint project of the Thomas Merton Center. Harambee Ujima is looking to bring stability back to the community by creating a culture based economic generator design to build a foundation for the artistic work force and provide the long-term and under-employed and to enter the global market. This event is the first effort to bring that festival back to its full glory in 2014, the first, much needed, solidarity observance in the last 15 years; ; and,
WHEREAS, The intention is to portray solidarity, an artistic interpretation of culture and economic values relating to our youth, who have not seen the Harambee of people coming together with Ujima, collectively working and taking responsibility for the healthy well-being of their community, for how can our children, black youth in particular, have hope in finding wellness, in being a part of a whole community without ever seeing or experiencing the harmony of social /economic solidarity; and,
WHEREAS, The two day festival was sponsored by the Homewood Childrens's Village, Operation Better Block, Homewood Renaissance Association, State Sen. Ed Gainey, and Urban Innovation 21, and community contributors including The African American Art Museum, Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess HACP, Community Empowerment Association, Umoja African Arts Company, St. Charles Lwanga Parish, Homewood-Brushton YMCA, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Homewood. The performances included 3TG, Sankofa Village of the Arts, Hip Hop on Lock, Taste of Honey, Umoja African Arts Company, Legacy Arts, and more. Featured artists included Vanessa German, DS Kinsel, Tina Williams-Brewer, George Hogan, Emma Slaughter, and Sandra Gould Ford. ; and, ...
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