MoAD presents the 16th annual Kwanzaa Celebration in partnership with The Village Project. Join us in celebrating Kwanzaa with a virtual poetry reading featuring Daniel B. Summerhill, Tiffany Banks, James Cagney, and Tyanna Braswell.

This event is part of week-long Kwanzaa programming organized by The Village Project. From December 26th-January 1st, each day will feature unique virtual programming, musical performances, and nightly libations in celebration of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. This poetry program will be streaming on The Village Project’s Facebook and Youtube pages on Saturday January 1st for the last day of Kwanzaa (Imani).

This program will be a rebroadcast of the poetry reading on Sunday December 26th.

Featured Poets

Daniel B. Summerhill is Assistant Professor of Poetry/Social Action and Composition Studies at California State University Monterey Bay. He has performed in over thirty states, The UK, and was invited by the US Embassy to guest lecture and perform in South Africa. His work has appeared in or is forthcoming from Columbia Journal, Rust + Moth, Button Poetry, Lily Poetry Review, Cogs, The Hellebore, and others. His debut collection Divine, Divine, Divine is available now from Oakland- based -Nomadic Press. His sophomore collection, Mausoleum of Flowers will be published by CavanKerry Press in April 2022.

Tiffany Banks aka The Poetic Pharaoh is a mother, Poet, Writer, Event Curator, Mistress of Ceremonies (MC), Motivational Speaker, and Healing Arts Worker from Vallejo, CA. Banks organizes and hosts Bay Area Spoken Word and artistic showcase events such as, Speak on It and, Art Temple. Her first book of poetry and short stories, Selah was published October 2018.

James Cagney is the author of Black Steel Magnolias In The Hour Of Chaos Theory, winner of the PEN Oakland 2018 Josephine Miles Award. His newest book, Martian: The Saint of Loneliness is the winner of the 2021 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. It is due from Nomadic Press in 2022. For more information, please visit JamesCagneypoet.com

Tyanna Braswell (she/they) is a Black Queer Femme spoken word poet, Pan-Africanist and spiritualist born and raised in the Bay Area. Her work spans from several tours of California universities/workshops/showcases and beyond as well as collaboration with major and upcoming recording artists. She serves communities of people of color and in need through her work with the shelterless as well as within her Spiritual community. She aims to use her platform as another medium of service with efforts to speak for her experience in marginalized communities she exists within. With every performance, she hopes to be welcomed and held by open hearts, minds and ears. She wishes to leave her audience with grace as well as a call toward radical honesty, compassion, and accountability to themselves and the communities who need it most.

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