And now there's no Kwanzaa Fest!
Posted on 10/21/2013 9:05:45 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
DALLAS — KwanzaaFest is an annual event that activist Thomas Muhammad helped found. It draws tens of thousands of people to Fair Park every second weekend in December.
But News 8 has learned the cultural celebration is taking the year off.
“2013 looks like it's not going to happen,” Muhammad said.
More than two decades ago, Muhammad, Commissioner John Wiley Price, and others first decided to find a way to showcase African-American businesses during the holiday season.
KwanzaaFest was born, but Commissioner Price's legal troubles are likely what killed it.
Federal investigators continue to examine Price's finances with court documents alleging the commissioner committed conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering.
He has not been charged with any crime.
“Because of the aura, a couple of corporate sponsors quite naturally don't want to be exposed to negative media," Muhammad said. "Some of them pulled out, and I think that had a lot to do with passing this up at this time."
But the cancellation is more than just a disappointment at missing the concerts and shopping that go along with the event.
HealthFest — which runs as a part of KwanzaaFest — provided everything from HIV testing to free vision screenings for for those who might only see a doctor at this event.
“That's going to be a serious loss to the Dallas community, who every year for over 20 years have come to this venue to get health services,” said Dallas County Health and Human Services director Dr. Zachary Thompson.
He said the department hasn’t been formally notified that the 2013 event is off.
Commissioner Price's website still has KwanzaaFest on the schedule for December 14-15, and Fair Park says it’s still holding those dates open for the event.
Muhammad said the KwanzaaFest committee made the decision to cancel very recently. He was notified Sunday via text message.
News 8 has learned that others were notified by letter.
Muhammad hopes to bring KwanzaaFest back in 2014. "I think the decision just finally came down we need to take a breather, hold up, rebuild, and come back," he said.
E-mail msaavedra@wfaa.com
I'll be home for Kwanzaa You can count on me Please have snow and busty hoes And homies crackalackin'
bump
It happened on 0bama’s watch! But it’s not ironic.
Kwanzaa...
Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha...
The scandal isn’t where it was thought up.
The scandal is that some folks actually bought into it lock stock and barrel.
Idiots are free to come up with their lunacy. You would hope the public was smarter than to swoon over some of it.
You can bet there will be an “Airing of Grievances” by the non participants.
"We'll always have Festivus ..."
John Wiley Price?? I think that is the “Black Hole” guy if I remember correctly! LMAO. Google it.
Have they never heard of Health Fairs?
Drat! Now what am i gonna do with those Kwanzaa cards?
Well, it is for the rest of us.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Hallmark Cards takes the big hit on this one.
“HealthFest — which runs as a part of KwanzaaFest — provided everything from HIV testing to free vision screenings for for those who might only see a doctor at this event.”
All in the spirit of Kwanzaa...
The Klan couldn’t have marginalized blacks more than pretending this was a holiday did.
Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 to be the first pan-African holiday. Kwanzaa’s goal was to give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and allow Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili first fruit celebration.
It is. John Wiley has been making a total fool of himself for decades, yet his constituency keeps electing him. Kind of like Sheila Jackson Lee, another of our good Texans.
We are, and have always been, a state of unique characters, sometimes not in a good way.
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