Queensborough Community College’s Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) displayed their cultural pride at their third-annual Kwanzaa Celebration. The December 6th event held on the Bayside, Queens campus, featured students, faculty, and staff as part of the celebration.
This year’s Kwanzaa Celebration featured lively performances by QCC dance students accompanied by two dynamic musicians playing African drums. Additionally, dancers from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School performed routines at the packed RFK Gymnasium on the QCC Campus.
“For many students, faculty, and staff of Queensborough, this annual celebration is an opportunity for us to be and feel seen, with our culture on full display,” said BFSA Member Reynald Pierre-Charles.
Jamaica, Queens’ own “Dance Royalty,” Ms. Carolyn DeVore attended the event to support the Cardozo High School dancers and the celebration of Kwanzaa. She received accolades from the animated crowd and from QCC Lecturer of African Diasporic Dance and choreographer, Kevin McEwen.
The event featured the display of a traditional Kwanzaa table covered with a vibrant kitenge-inspired cloth. Curated by QCC ASAP Program Coordinator Stephanie Guilbaud, the Kwanzaa table included a traditional mat, known as a mkeka, upon which the black, red, and green kinara, a candle display, was placed. Additionally, the Kwanzaa table displayed a kikombe cha umoja, or wooden cup set as a tribute to our Ancestors, as well as Kwanzaa bracelets which were given as gifts to all attendees.
Attendees enjoyed hot refreshments from Burgers Tacos Wings & Seafood of Jamaica, Queens.
Founded in 2020, the Queensborough Community College Black Faculty and Staff Association supports the voices of Black faculty, staff, and students on the QCC campus and throughout CUNY. The BFSA hosts an annual Juneteenth celebration, a Sankofa ceremony, and other cultural events throughout the academic year.