Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Photos by John Coleman
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Maulana Karenga, PhD, Professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Los Angeles was the guest speaker on February 27. He was invited by faculty, staff and students of San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) and other Inland Empire Organizations.
Dr. Karenga is internationally recognized as the creator of Kwanza, the Pan-African and African American concept and holiday celebration. He has been a relatively frequent visitor to the area and has lead local observances of Kwanza festivities.
Dr karenga demonstrates an aspect of an African (libation) ritual in which the leader pours an amount of water, in honor & celebration of a departed family member or other person, as participants in the service, aloud, say the name of their honoree. 
Greeters included: Beverly Jones-Wright, Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, (IECAAC; Dr Karenga; Diana Rodrigues, President, San Bernardino Valley College, (SBVC), where the event was held; Mrs Tiamoyo Karenga; & Joseph Williams, Member, San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD Board. 
‘Kwanzaa’ is an East African word/representation for the ancient celebration: ‘First Fruits” 
Dr Karenga, one of 14 children born ( 7-14-1941, at the outset of WWII, on a ‘share-cropper’ farm in rural Maryland; moved to los Angeles when 18; met Malcolm X while attendinc LACity College; read heavily the scholarly works of African authors; became actively involved in community/civil rights work in LA whie working on earning Batchelors & Masters degrees at UCLA; was arrested-tried-&-convicted of ‘assault’ (which he describes a ‘politically motivated’); while in prison, deepened his studies of Africa, it’s peoples, languages, cultures & ancient history; & emerged, himself a scholar wfo proposed Africanizing African-Ameriicans.
