GBH Openvault

Say Brother; Kwanzaa Special; The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa

Part of Say Brother.

12/29/1978

In this clip dance and drumming company The Art of Black Dance and Music, under the guidance of Artistic Director DiAma Battle, performs harvest dances from Guinea, Gambia, Nigeria, and Senegal, and explain the seven principles of Kwanzaa (one for each day of celebration). Overall the program explores the harvest festival Kwanzaa, an African and Mid-Eastern holiday now celebrated by African Americans as a way of identifying with their African heritage. To accomplish this, the dance and drumming company The Art of Black Dance and Music, under the guidance of Artistic Director DiAma Battle, performs harvest dances from Guinea, Gambia, Nigeria, and Senegal, and explain the seven principles of Kwanzaa (one for each day of celebration). Host Barbara Barrow-Murray speaks with DiAma about the difference between African and African American celebrations of Kwanzaa, the meaning of the seven principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith), how these principles are celebrated, and how more African Americans are celebrating both Kwanzaa and Christmas. The majority of the program consists of performances. Produced by Barbara Barrow-Murray. Directed by Eric Himes.


License Clip
Series
Say Brother
Program
Kwanzaa Special
Program Number

911

Title

The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa

Series Description

Say Brother is WGBH's longest running public affairs television program by, for and about African Americans, and is now known as Basic Black. Since its inception in 1968, Say Brother has featured the voices of both locally and nationally known African American artists, athletes, performers, politicians, professionals, and writers including: Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Thomas Atkins, Amiri Baraka, Doris Bunte, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farrakhan, Nikki Giovanni, Odetta Gordon, Henry Hampton, Benjamin Hooks, Jesse Jackson, Hubie Jones, Mel King, Eartha Kitt, Elma Lewis, Haki Madhubuti, Wallace D. Muhammad, Charles Ogletree, Babatunde Olatunji, Byron Rushing, Owusu Sadaukai, and Sonia Sanchez. Series release date: 7/15/1968

Program Description

Program explores the harvest festival Kwanzaa, an African and Mid-Eastern holiday now celebrated by African Americans as a way of identifying with their African heritage. To accomplish this, the dance and drumming company The Art of Black Dance and Music, under the guidance of Artistic Director DiAma Battle, performs harvest dances from Guinea, Gambia, Nigeria, and Senegal, and explain the seven principles of Kwanzaa (one for each day of celebration). Host Barbara Barrow-Murray speaks with DiAma about the difference between African and African American celebrations of Kwanzaa, the meaning of the seven principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith), how these principles are celebrated, and how more African Americans are celebrating both Kwanzaa and Christmas. The majority of the program consists of performances.

Asset Type

Clip

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Kwanzaa
African American dance
Art of Black Dance and Music, The
Battle, DiAma
African Americans in the performing arts
Dance--Africa
Genres
Magazine
Topics
Race and Ethnicity
Creators
Himes, Eric (Director)
Barrow-Murray, Barbara (Producer)
Deare, Beth (Associate Producer)
Contributors
Merhar, Milan (Videotape Editor)
Rosenthal, Iris (Camera)
Mackles, Gene (Graphic Designer)
Norton, Chas (Lighting Director)
Holden, Dick (Camera)
Hill, Rebecca (Fashion Consultant)
Gisser, Michelle (Technical Production)
Clarke, Brian (Assistant Director)
Bordett, Bruce (Stage Manager)
Correia, Dennis (Videotape Editor)
Fairweather, Bill (Video)
Carey, Nancy (Intern)
Lewis, Webster (Theme Music)
Barrow-Murray, Barbara (Host)
St. Onge, David (Videotape Recordist)
Chigas, Basil (Technical Production)
Rivera, George (Post Production Supervisor)
Mahard, Fran (Scenic Design)
Koppel, Tiit (Switcher)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Say Brother; Kwanzaa Special; The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa,” 12/29/1978, GBH Archives, accessed December 21, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_94E1CFF4BD1A4B2FA026AABAE253F194.
MLA: “Say Brother; Kwanzaa Special; The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa.” 12/29/1978. GBH Archives. Web. December 21, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_94E1CFF4BD1A4B2FA026AABAE253F194>.
APA: Say Brother; Kwanzaa Special; The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_94E1CFF4BD1A4B2FA026AABAE253F194
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