In celebration of Kwanzaa, the Office of African American Student Affairs, Student Mentor Association and the Office for Equal Opportunity is sponsoring the 16th annual Karamu Kwanzaa Celebration today.
This year’s celebration will feature famed civil rights activist and founder of the Black Action Strategies and Information Center (BASIC), C.T. Vivian, as keynote speaker.
This year’s Kwanzaa celebration is one of the events included in the “50 years of African-American Undergraduate Education” celebration running throughout the 2006-2007 school year.
“Kwanzaa is a time of reflection on the past year,” said Roshaunda McLean, a senior in psychology and president of the Student Mentor Association. “This year we can reflect on how far African-American students have come in the past 50 years.”
However, McLean said Kwanzaa isn’t just for those with African ancestry.
“Kwanzaa is a unity celebration,” McLean said. “Everyone is encouraged to participate, not just members of the African American community.”
In addition to Vivian’s lecture, the celebration will feature traditional Kwanzaa rituals as well as African dances and food.
According to McLean, teachers from local middle schools will bring their students to the celebration. Also, a large number of African-American alumni are expected to attend.
“We want to include everyone in the community – not just student and faculty at State,” McLean said. “Kwanzaa is a community-based event and we want as many people as possible to celebrate with us.” Vivian will give a lecture entitled “Race Relations at N.C. State University, Past, Present and Future.”
“We are excited to have Dr. Vivian as this year’s keynote speaker,” Tracey Ray, director for African American Student Affairs, said. “His speech will really shed light on the diversity here at N.C. State, and how far we have come.”
Vivian was an influential member of the Civil Rights Movement, according to Ray.
He has addressed audiences in 42 states, ten countries and numerous campuses nationwide. He speaks on the issues of civil rights, non-violence, racism and Martin Luther King Jr., with whom he worked for many years.
Vivian has also been featured as an activist and an analyst in the civil rights documentary, “Eyes on the Prize.”