Unity in the Community!
By Matthew “Pure” Bradley
On Sunday March 26, 2023, the sun shone brightly across clear blue skies as Dania Beach residents carried on with their typical midday routines. However, one Dania Beach resident had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
She recalls lying in bed when she heard the sound of Indigenous drum rhythms echoing through her apartment complex. “Drumming in Dania?” She thought to herself as she allowed the resonating vibrations to activate every cell of her body. Before she knew it, she was compelled to get out of bed and follow the sound of the drums which led her to a celebration unlike any she had experienced in a very long time. When she arrived she immediately felt a connection that brought her back to her childhood and West Indian roots.
What she and several other residents discovered that day was “Umoja Sundays,” an event organized by Jamii, a local Dania Beach nonprofit organization. Jamii means “Community” and Umoja means “Unity” in Swahili. Umoja Sundays is a creative, interactive Learning Through Play experience that encourages intergenerational relation-ships, healthy living, and unity in the community. The intention is to build trust, exchange energy & information and learn and play together as a community.
The event was co-organized by The Sistar Soulidarity Movement, an empowerment circle for original Melanated-Indigenous Wombmen, founded by Broward County resident and Arkansas native Tabitha Foster. The American Legion Post 209 hosted the event, which began with an introduction from event host Tina Gibson aka Melanated Glow, a Broward County public school teacher, artist, community activist and member of The Sistar Soulidarity Movement.
After the introduction, the order of ceremony followed traditional protocol by having community elder Baba Rique Kofi pour libations to honor The Righteous Ancestors. What followed was pure magic, as attendees enjoyed an uplifting performance by Ayitiopya, a percussion, guitar and vocal trio of Ayisyen (Haitian) decent.
The Sistar Soulidarity Movement inspired a future generation of young dancers with a lovely dance performance by Njeri Sofiyah, Sistar Tabitha, Sistar Melanated Glow and Sistar DayJah Star. The dance was a tribute to mothers and the miracle of life, choreographed by Njeri Sofiyah, owner of Cultural Expressions, a yoga/dance studio and cultural event space in Hollywood, FL. DJ Black Magic provided the soundtrack for the event with a flawless, high-energy Afro Beats set.
During a brief inter-mission attendees enjoyed refreshments and reunited with old friends and created new connections. Things turned up a notch once Dr. George Xavier Love, the grandmaster of Blue Dragon Qigong Academy hit the stage and got everyone on their feet to do “Qi Dance.” Qi Dance is a dance class developed by Dr. Love to release stuck emotions and move stagnant energy in the body, while simultaneously infusing his extensive knowledge of health & wellness in a fun and entertaining way.
The next portion of the program was an Interactive Art Experience facilitated by Alana DaCosta, MS, an artist, schoolteacher and founder of Kr8tive Uprising. DaCosta’s class became a crowd favorite as she effortlessly infused Indigenous culture into an amazing experience that was enjoyed by all.
Umoja Sundays also featured Jamii’s popular Mobile Learning Center, facilitated by Sister SalaaMaryam Bellabe aka Mama Myriam, a Montessori schoolteacher and Jamii staff member. The Mobile Learning Center is how Jamii first introduced itself to the public by becoming a staple at community events in South Florida and Chicago, IL.
Last but certainly not least was the reception, which included vendors, a delicious plant-based meal by Yamz Ital Kitchen, a divine combination of Caribbean & Louisiana Creole Cuisine, and the now infamous Drum Circle. The Drum Circle was led by a cast of phenomenal South Florida drummers, including: Baba Atoja, Nany “Jamindian” G, Abasi & Livin the Rhythm, Nicho Spivey, Mustafa Wright, Peace of Love & Peace Wellness, Eliyahu Salaam of I Roots & Fruits, Ayiti Bluez, Rafael, Ranro, Q, Brother Pure and a host of other drummers that held the vibes.
The drum circle chogeography was led by Sister Selah Vee, a traditional West African dancer, drummer and DJ. Sister Selah Vee along with the Sistar Soulidarity Movement got the crowd involved and inspired the drummers to play high-powered rhythm after rhythm into the early night.
Community members showed up in the spirit of Umoja to revitalize our community and ended up leaving as family. The event was a success, and resulted in an email inbox full of attendees asking when the next one would be.
Jamii intends to keep creating sacred safe spaces for their community to unite and practice their culture, but they need your help.
Ways to support Jamii events: Make a donation at Jamiicommunity.org; Become a sponsor; Become a volunteer; Share this article with a friend.
All Jamii events are safe sacred spaces for community members to freely practice our culture. We require attendees to enter these spaces with pure intentions and respect each other as Father & Mother, Brother & Sister, Son & Daughter. Asé.
