>> my name is adrienne williams. i am with the village project. we have adorned kwanza for 13 years, and now we have 17 events this week throughout the city. so welcome, everyone, and we are going -- the village project is a nonprofit functioning out of the western edition, and in addition to doing kwanzaa, we have an afterschool program, we have a summer camp, and we do free community events. so everybody sit back pack and let's enjoy opening day of kwanzaa. i want to bring up right now, father. , one of my favorite people to open with a prayer.

father. is from the episcopal diocese. >> thank you. thank you, brothers and sisters. let's take a moment to remember those who have preceded us and let them speak to us. a moment of silence, please.

>> amen. >> i love it. thank you, sir,. thank you, father. we have been here in city hall from 12 of those 13 years, and we are always hosted by the mayor's office of neighborhood services. i am very pleased to introduce you to mix -- mr alex lazar. director of the mayor's office of neighborhood services. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you. welcome everyone to the 13th annual kwanzaa celebration here in san francisco city hall. as ms. miss adrienne mentioned, my name is alex lazar, and i'm joined here with my colleagues. we are here on behalf of of the mayor, and we want to welcome you and the city family here to begins our celebration. thank you to ms. miss adrienne williams. we all know that as the director -- please. [applause] >> as the director of the village project, which is a youth service organization that focuses on educational and cultural enrichment for our youth and their families in the western edition, we are all better being friends with adrienne. thank you again. [applause] >> she is a driving force of the celebration of kwanzaa

throughout san francisco. by connecting traditionally african-american communities for this joyous celebration. thank you again for your opening prayer. we are joined here by many young folks and many performers. we have the village kids chorus, we have briand at jay dancers, we have the dimension dance theater. you will also be hearing from dr curtis who will provide the keynote for today's celebration. as well as the c-note, we all member them from maryland and breed's inauguration just six months ago. [applause] >> kwanzaa was created by a doctor in 1966. is celebrated annually by more than 30 million people worldwide over seven days, starting today, all the way through january 1st

. the valleys of kwanzaa, or the seven principles are critical tools for addressing the issues facing african-american community today. today we celebrate unity to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. thank you to ms. miss williams, now through january 1st, therapy ceremonies throughout the neighborhoods in san francisco, including hamilton recreation centre, over the george davis senior centre in the bayview, the main library across the street, visitation library and visitation vallie, bayview ymca, third baptist church, the western edition family resource centre, the episcopal church to name a few. we also thank the community partners that will help make this week a memorable one.

lastly, as families, friends, and communities gather this week to light the kenora, we want to send our best wishes. city hall will light up in the colours and we are very excited for that. thank you very much and have a joyous celebration. >> thank you. i failed to mention, for the first time in 13 years, city hall will light up in the red, black, and green candles. gay. [cheering] -- yes! [cheering] thank you. i don't know what i would do without you guys. thank you so much. we have to move right along because we have to get out of here, and we want to be on time. so we will have brother maleic -- brothernk the drummers

for helping their libations go higher. [applause] >> i will make sure this water finds its way outside so can breathe again, and ride up into the sky and may be come back down on our faces like rain. yes. [speaking foreign language] >> where are we at in the program? >> pour libations for yourself when you have your milk, when

you have your soda, say the name of a loved one and pour libations. >> let's see what we have now. >> wow. so we would like to have everyone, please stand as we sing, lift every voice and saying. we have some wonderful children that will help us with this, and since -- can i get a hand for adrienne williams? [applause] >> and the village project. yes. here we go. that is looking good on you.

>> make me proud. >> can i have that microphone? >> they will start it. we have an arrangement. >> okay. [indiscernible]

[♪] [singing] [♪]

[singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing]

[cheering] [indiscernible] >> oh, yeah, what a nice way to do that.

[indiscernible] [singing] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing] [cheers and applause]

>> how about another hand for the children. yes. we snuck a little journey in there peerk a little local something something. yes indeed. can you give me another start on that right there? get ready. so this southern principles that we celebrate during kwanzaa are the things that we hope to practice throughout the year. [♪]

>> i want you to follow along if we can to seven principles. [singing] >> we need to get together and share our blessings. that is the way it should always be. unity. [speaking foreign language] >> it is determination. to define ourselves, create ourselves, and speak to ourselves. [speaking foreign language] >> it is self-determination. i need freedom to define my own goals so no one has to speak for me. [speaking foreign language] >> we need to build and maintain our community together. let's take responsibility for our past and what our future will mean. we collect work and responsibility.

[speaking foreign language] his cooperative economics. that is money, man. to build and maintain our stores , our shops, our businesses, sharing profits, feeling fine. i buy your goods, you by mine pete. [speaking foreign language] >> we would love to understand. that is money men -- that is my name pac-man. [speaking foreign language] ♪ [rapping]

>> yellow repeat after me. [speaking foreign language] [rapping] [rapping]

[singing]

[♪] >> kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration for a year long practice. the things we do this week are just a reminder of what we have to do for the entire year. this is the 53rd time that they have lips those candles. 1956 is when this whole thing began. they share black culture, black community, and black people with the world his. kwanzaa is an american holiday, like jazz, like gospel, it is a

black thing. made right here in the u.s. of a. they celebrate kwanzaa all over the world. but they started kwanzaa in los angeles, california in 1956. it is not a substitute for christmas, it complements christmas because after you spend up all your money, you can have a free holiday where you don't have to spend any money at all. that's right. let this be the best year ever, 2019. everybody say, i'm going to get my kwanzaa on. [singing] >> give yourself a hand.

[♪] [♪] >> we have some real beauties for you now. we have breanna daniels, are you in the building? i believe you are. boat here come the dancers. they have been here all along. [applause] >> we are in for a treat. >> just watch.

[♪] [♪]

[♪] [♪]

>> come on drums. ♪ [singing] [♪] [singing]

[singing] [♪] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [singing] [singing] [cheers and applause]

[singing] [♪]

[♪]

[cheers and applause] >> yeah! [♪] [♪]

[cheers and applause] >> yes! that was some fire. >> rihanna -- breanna dancers. if you want to see more, come to the hamilton recreation centre tomorrow at 1:00 pm. we will have a whole day of dance. that is breanna right there. >> let us take a look at you, may be. >> thank you. another round of applause. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, guys. we will see you tomorrow. >> that is fire right there. that is fire. right now we will have our keynote speaker come up but i want to acknowledge a couple of people in the house. i think i just saw malia over there.

hello. how are you doing? aren't you the governor or something, didn't you just get elected? [laughter] >> that would be good. that would look good. governor cohen. i also want to recognize the pastor from saint cyprian's church. come and do it for me. i do not want to mess up the name. >> thank you, father. >> we would like to bring to the stage, dr stroll and purchase notes for our keynote. i see you.

>> come on. [♪] [singing] [singing]

[singing] [cheering] >> dr curtis.

>> all right. [speaking foreign language] >> come on, you can all can do better than that. the responses -- [speaking foreign language] let's try that again. [speaking foreign language] >> it is indeed an honor to stand before you today to share some words. when ms. miss adrienne williams asked me to give this address today, i said, can i make it short, because i know people have stuff to do, and it is the day after christmas, but i would

be remiss if i did not recognize the gravity and significance of this day for black human beings on this planet for not only is it in honor, but it is incumbent upon me to stand before you as a student. in fact, in the seventies, when we had a reemergence of the movement from the sixties, i was given the honor of being named a brother by the then known doctor if you see me on the street, in here some people say my name tag

that is me. first of all, i would like to acknowledge some people, and i'm going to be brief, believe me. we got to get some help here. this kind of what happens when you rush over 60 mark. [laughter] they say things go. first of all, i would like to honor and acknowledge our creator. what, or whoever that may be, to you. importantly to our ancestors, the great kings and queens, leaders of antiquity who taught

and gave the world math, science , art, politics, morality , and a higher consciousness of self and family importantly, community. let me start by saying i want to acknowledge first of all the people who have gone on. our great ancestors like mary mcleod, dart -- dr martin luther king. y'all can help me out. i'm sorry? malcolm x. uep newton.

marcus garvey, frederick douglass, if i had to stay here and name all of those who have gone on before us, i would be here until next year, in the same spot, running off names. let us now turn our attention to some of the living legends who are still on the battlefields. some of them who are providing emeritus support. people like john lewis who is still tense -- standing tall on the battlefield and who is letting people know we are still here, we are not going away. people like andrew young and harry belafonte, maxine waters,

angela davis, again, i can go on and on. i would be remiss if i didn't mention dr amos brown who for many, many years in san francisco was a freedom fighter. even though his health is failing, you still see him hobbling around town. still standing tall for what he believes is right. i would also like to honor and recognize, whom i believe was the greatest mayor in the history of civilization, and that is the honorable mayor willie lewis brown. let's give him some love. [applause]

>> i want to acknowledge ms. miss malia cohen, who is standing tall and firm, and is trudging forward to put san francisco on the map in the way that it deserves to be. mrs. harris, who has given mr trump the blues, rightfully so. last but not least, our own, ms. miss london breed. [applause] briefly, i want to mention this young lady, who some call the spitfire in the community. she may be small in stature, but she's mighty, and she is a kind

of person who will never take no for an answer. adrienne williams. [cheers and applause] >> she has almost single-handedly gone into our community, and looked after our babies, provided them with a sense of self and future, and has brought people like myself and brother clinton, and others in to help mentor these youngsters. she is to be commended. give her some love. what do all of the people i mentioned have in common?

they represent a greater good for our community. let us examine the word community. i don't think it is an accident that in the word community, you see the word common, you see the word commune, but you see the word unity. community. when i look at the word community, i immediately think of unity. there is a swahili word that is used. is generally on the last week of kwanzaa.

it means to pull together. i want everyone to repeat after me. her bombay -- [speaking foreign language] >> the power of -- [speaking foreign language] >> -- is the power of the people repeat after me. the power of -- [speaking foreign language] -- is the power of the people. to date we will do this. our golden state warriors love to use a saying that there is strength in numbers. that may be so. that there is a saying that says a house divided amongst the self cannot stand. needless to say that you can have a gathering of many minds and many people, but if you are

not unified, you get nowhere. i'm here to offer a solution. they used to say that mayor willie brown would say i do not come to me complaining unless you have a solution. today i offer a solution. i offer -- [speaking foreign language] -- unity. [speaking foreign language] -- today. the power of this is the power of the people. many people complain about things, but they have no solution. in fact, complaining is not a solution. someone said once that the man that man created, language satisfies the deep need to complain.

maya angelou said it best. if you don't like something, change it, and if you can't change it, change your attitude. my grandfather used to say, the time it took for you to stand here and complain, you should have some -- done something about it. we must rally around our leaders who have our best interests at heart. when they are wrong, we have to tell them they are wrong, but we cannot be on the sidelines hating, always having something negative to say, complaining, and were not even on the ship. you are standing still. what is the matter? why is it that you have something to say when you aren't even doing anything?

we know we have been gentrified, marginalized, and now we are small numbers in san francisco. i'm talking about the african-american community, because i am solely addressing you at this moment. we are in crisis mode. we are beyond crisis mode. i remember a time growing up on fillmore street when i use to try and shine shoes in front of a chicago barbershop. we used to get run off by homies saying, you can't do that. i have my own shoeshine place here. i remember seeing black businesses all the way from herman market street, all the way down to galileo high school. every day in our community. now that african-american numbers have dwindled, it is important that we --

[speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] -- is out of self-preservation. they say the first law of nature is self-preservation, but we must look beyond the self, and understand we must take care of our community, we must look after our elders, we must cherish and honor our elders. they provide us with a treasure trove of information on how to move forward, how to navigate this thing that we call life. many times we think we have gone through something, but they have already gone through it, just a different name. we have pretty much thrown our elders to the side. we live in a society that looks at getting old as something negative, when traditionally, in

our society, in the black community, we have always honored and treasured our elders can you say that again? [speaking foreign language] >> my grandfather used to say, just keep a living. you will get old. it seems to me if we take care of our elders, we are storing up in our karma bank for ourselves so that when we reach that point , may be someone will reach down and say something nice and good about us. may be someone will respect us, and honor us, and cherish us. we also know that it is important for us to continue to instill in our babies respect and honor from family and community.