45th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration: December 28th, Ujima

45th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration
Doors 6pm | Program 6:30PM

WorldBeat Cultural Center invites the community to celebrate its 45th Annual Kwanzaa, honoring four of the seven days of this African American cultural holiday rooted in African traditions. Observed from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa centers on the Nguzo Saba—the Seven Principles: Umoja-Unity, Kujichagulia- Self-Determination, Ujima – Collective Work & Responsibility, Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics, Nia – Purpose, Kuumba – Creativity, and Imani – Faith.

Each evening features ceremonial candle lighting, libations, African drumming, poetry, music, and reflections from featured speakers and performers aligned with the night’s principle. Guests will also share in the Karamu, the traditional Kwanzaa feast plate, featuring black-eyed peas, collard greens, gumbo, potato salad, and corn muffins. This year’s celebration also launches the inaugural Kwanzaa Awards, honoring individuals whose work embodies the values of the Nguzo Saba. All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Advance RSVP encouraged.

Each evening will be hosted by MC Selah Black Sol and Sidiqa Hooker

Day 3: Sunday, December 28th: Ujima, Collective Work & Responsibility

Keynote Speakers and Performer

Ayanna Gregory
Ayanna Gregory is an educator, singer, dramatist, and activist whose work is rooted in healing, truth-telling, and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. The daughter of human rights icon Dick Gregory, she uses music, theater, and storytelling to create transformative experiences that inspire courage, community, and self-love. Through works such as Daughter of the Struggle and her global Change Maker programs, Gregory continues to uplift audiences and empower new generations committed to justice and collective healing.

Shugri Said Salh
Shugri Said Salh is an award-winning author, nurse, and cultural storyteller whose memoir The Last Nomad chronicles her extraordinary journey from the Somali desert to life in the United States. Rooted in the oral traditions she learned from her grandmother, her work preserves Somali stories of resilience, identity, and survival while advocating for cultural memory and human connection. A recipient of multiple literary honors, Salh continues her mission as a storyteller, nurse, and community archivist in San Diego.

Performance by Tebe Zalango
Tebe Zalango brings the vibrant rhythms, songs, and movement of East Africa to the stage through powerful traditional performance. Their dynamic ensemble channels cultural pride, history, and community celebration through music and dance.

This year also marks the inauguration of the Annual Kwanzaa Awards, honoring individuals whose work reflects the values of the Nguzo Saba, including Chuck Ambers, founder of the African Museum Casa del Rey Moro, Maria Lane, San Diego’s First Samba Instructor, Johnnierenee Nia Nelson, WorldBeat Center’s Poet Laurette. Dennis Newsome, Capoeira Angola Mestre, Starla Lewis, Global Teacher of Self-Love and Prince Habib, President of African American Writers & Artists.