St. Thomas and St. Croix to Experience "The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration"

Film director and professor M.K. Asante, Jr. keynote speaker at free events

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release The celebration of Kwanzaa is one month away, but Virgin Islanders can learn how to use the seven principles of Kwanzaa 365 days a year. The Virgin Islands premiere of the film "The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration" will be held on Nov. 14 and 15 on St. Thomas and St. Croix respectively. Narrated by Poet Laureate Maya Angelou, the film is a timely illumination on why the seven principles of Kwanzaa (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith) are so important to African-Americans today. The St. Thomas screening will be held at noon and again at 7 p.m. in the Administrative and Conference Center room 142-B of the University of the Virgin Islands. The St. Croix screening will be held from noon until 4 p.m. in the Great Hall of UVI.

Professor M.K. Asante, Jr., the director of "The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration" will be the keynote speaker at the events. He will also lead a question and answer segment following each screening and will be available to sign books. Asante, a 25 year-old professor at Morgan State University, will also share his experiences and perspectives of his other published works which include two poetry books "Like Water Running Off my Back," "Beautiful. And Ugly Too," one non-fiction, "It's Bigger than Hip-Hop," and his first film, "500 Years Later."

On St. Thomas the monthly "Rock Lounge" open mic event, showcasing poetry and other forms of creative expression, will coincide with the event from 6 p.m. with Asante as the featured poet during the latter part of the hour.

There will be an educational and interactive Kwanzaa Marketplace between 2 - 6 p.m., including drumming, dancing and singing where students from various schools along with other members of the community will be able to experience first-hand the true meaning of practicing Kwanzaa through unity, cooperative economics and creativity, among other principles, as local farmers and crafts-persons share their skills and display examples of a variety of talents and services. Come and learn various Kwanzaa phrases spoken in the Ki-Swahili language, information about African symbolism as it pertains to the seven principles, Diaspora customs, music and more as Kwanzaa is celebrated through oral tradition, fashion, drum and dance within the viewing of the film itself and in person at these events. Participants are encouraged to come in their cultural clothing.

During a portion of the evening event, there will be volunteers available to entertain children with cultural and native books and book reading, coloring books, games, manipulatives and more all in the spirit of Collective Work and Responsibility. Additional volunteers are welcome.

Light refreshments will be available at 5 p.m. and there will be activities for children during the film screening.

Coordinated by Dara Monifah Cooper of the Rock Collective, in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands English Area, The African Diaspora Youth Development Foundation, and Per Ankh, Inc. Funded by Asante Filmworx, in part by the V. I. Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the U.S.V.I. Department of Education Division of Cultural Education with support from The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands: The Family Connection, The Humanities Council of the Virgin Islands and The Cultural Heritage Institute and The Enid M. Baa Public Library.

In addition to these events, books will be available at Dockside Bookshop, The Enid M. Baa Public Library and the University of the Virgin Islands Ralph Paiwonsky Library. Copies of The Black Candle (DVD), along with Asante's other publications, will be available for purchase at all screenings in addition to a schedule of upcoming local Kwanzaa season gatherings.

Admission to all events is FREE. For more information, call (340) 473-6659 or email HabariGaniVI@gmail.com.

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