12/22/2025
The National Black United Front – Kansas City (NBUF-KC), in partnership with the American Jazz Museum will sponsor its 44th Annual Citywide Kwanzaa Celebration from December 26th through January 1st. Programs on December 26th through the 31st will be held at the historic Gem Theater located at 1615 E. 18th Street in Kansas City. The programs at the Gem Theater will begin promptly each evening at 7:00 p.m. The African Marketplace, featuring vendors, artisans, crafts-persons and food will open at 6:00 p.m. each evening at the Gem Theater. The final day of Kwanzaa, January 1, 2026, will be held at the Nefertiti Banquet Hall, 1314 Quindaro Blvd., in Kansas City, KS. This program will begin at 3:00 p.m.
December 26, Umoja (Unity) – The first night of Kwanzaa will be hosted by NBUF-KC and the Esoke Cultural Arts Center. Esoke is a performing arts organization dedicated to improving the self-esteem and cultural awareness of Kansas City's youth through the arts of the African diaspora. They are delighted to continue their service of the past 33 years with a performance on the first night of Kwanzaa and will lead processionals every night of Kwanzaa. The Esoke performance will include a South African song about being prepared to meet God by having righteous behavior on earth, Alukou, an Ivory Coast song with drumming, Dance of the Orishas Elgba and Yemeya, Myla, a harvest dance from Nigeria, and Sorsene and Mandjoni, girls’ initiation dances from Guinea and Mali.
In addition to the Esoke Cultural Arts Center, the Charles Miller Black Liberation Award will be presented to the Kansas City Defender. The Kansas City Defender is a newspaper/organization that has been on the frontline in numerous battles that have been waged for justice and liberation in Kansas City over the past year. The group, made up primarily of young people, is highly respected throughout the metropolitan area because of their tireless work on behalf of the Black community.
December 27, Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) – This night of Kwanzaa will be hosted jointly by Art In Motion, a performing arts company, and the students of the African Centered College Preparatory Academy (ACPREP). Their presentation this year is a piece entitled “People of the Drum,” a collision of music and dance. The collision of music and dance from Africa to America is a testament to the enduring power of cultural exchange and adaptation. From the rhythms of the drum to the movements of the body, these art forms continues to inspire, unite, and transform societies, as we celebrate our story and evolution. Both groups are directed by Danny Diallo Hinds.
December 28, Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) – This night of Kwanzaa will be hosted by The BlocKC: Brothers Liberating Our Community (BLOC). BLOC is a 501c3 focused on increasing the number of Black male educators in schools. BLOC will commemorate Ujima by honoring the vital role of arts integration in schools. This evening will spotlight arts specialist educators and exemplary arts programs that demonstrate how collective investment in creativity strengthens learning environments and improves student outcomes. Grounded in the principle of Ujima, the celebration underscores the shared responsibility to cultivate spaces where students can express themselves, develop critical thinking skills, and achieve academic and personal success through the arts. Cornell Ellis is Co-Founder and Executive Director.
December 29, Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) –. This night will be hosted by the Music & More Foundation. The program will feature a powerful lineup of poets, visual artists presenting stunning artwork, and music. The program will be hosted by Tyrone “Inkwell” Gethers Jr. The program will close with TL Williams reciting Psalms 133 – a sacred call to unity.
December 30, Nia (Purpose) – The host for this evening’s program will be the A-Flat Music Studio Inc. and the A-Flat Youth Orchestra. The purpose of the organization is to provide Kansas City area youth with formal instrumental music instruction. The A-Flat Music Studio Inc. was founded by Darryl A Chamberlain as an avenue by which youth in the Kansas City area can learn the wonderful aspects of playing a musical instrument. The staff of A-Flat Music Studio Inc. offers formal instrumental music instruction for all the instruments of the orchestra plus some non-standard instruments. The A-Flat Youth Orchestra is in its ninth year of operation and makes its seventh appearance in the 2025 KCBUF annual Kwanzaa celebration. This year, the Orchestra’s special guest pianist will be Kansas City’s famed pianist, Mr. Charles Williams. Also performing will be steel drummer Bryan Alford. Asa Barnes will be returning by special request. He’ll be performing an old memorable standard. The orchestra will have a mix of music as usual performing a little Junior Walker, Duke Ellington, the Jackson Five and other specials from memory lane.
December 31st, Kuumba (Creativity) – This night of Kwanzaa will be hosted by the American Jazz Museum, located in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. Since its inception in 1997, the Museum has hosted thousands of students, scholars, and music fans with over 400 performances, education programs, special exhibitions and community events. The American Jazz Museum showcases the sights and sounds of jazz through interactive exhibits and films, the Changing Gallery exhibit space, the Horace M. Peterson III Visitors Center, the Blue Room jazz club and the Gem Theater. The program will feature performances by local jazz musicians.
January 1, Imani (Faith) – The seventh day of Kwanzaa will be an afternoon event hosted by the NBUF-KC. This event will be held at the Nefertiti Ballroom, located at 1314 Quindaro, in Kansas City, Kansas, beginning at 3:00 p.m. The feature of the day will be a video presentation with Kinda and Ajamu Webster who have been living in Ghana, West Africa, for the past three years. The Unity Feast will follow and everyone is encouraged to bring a dish for the Feast (no pork).
All Kwanzaa events are free and open to the public. For more information contact 816-527-6616 or [email protected].
Note: During construction in the area parking is available in the parking lots of the Gregg/Klice Community Center and the Black Archives of Mid-America.
