- December 11, 2025
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Lamar Gary said whenever he's asked to be part of the Kwanzaa Community Celebration, he will accept the request, no matter what else he might be doing.
Although he wouldn't typically share material from a book he is working on, he chose to so during the event Dec. 4 at the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library.
During the "Gifts" section, he shared a story about the importance of standing up to bullies in life, and often enjoys sharing poetry or writing with the attendees.
"It's just a wonderful experience. I love it," he said.
The event serves as preparation for Kwanzaa, which takes place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
Although it used to be based at the library exclusively, it is now also brought to library patrons in the community, including those at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, said Lois B. Wilkins, chair of the library's African American Cultural Resource Center.
It will also be followed by a 7-Day Candle Lighting Ceremony and Celebration to be held at various locations from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
At the library, attendees come from beyond the African American community, she notes, with people of varying ethnicities and ages turning out to celebrate the holiday founded by activist Maulana Karenga in 1966 and based on African harvest festival traditions.
Some believe the holiday is a substitute for religion, but it is a celebration of community, Wilkins emphasizes.
"We need to do things together," she said. "We need to start trying to pull together."
The event, hosted as a ceremony featuring music and drums, brought together numerous parties from the community.
Presenting the event were the Friends of Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota County Library and the library's African American Cultural Resource Center, while serving as co-sponsors were the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition.
Participants included the group Exceptional Tutoring; Stevey Jones, a mindfulness teacher known as "Mr. Stevey"; and Flourishing, an organization which offers middle and high school girls services that include academic support.
Two loyal attendees and supporters of the event are Marion Ruffin and Paul Ruffin, who were led there by Wilkins and her husband David Wilkins, both longtime friends, in 2015.
The couple, who met in 1973, have been celebrating Kwanzaa since the 1970s and met the Wilkinses on their honeymoon in Jamaica.
Marion Ruffin said she was inspired to celebrate the holiday after learning about it when the Black Panthers became active on her campus at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
Paul Ruffin began celebrating it after his time in the Air Force, and says he was struck by the history behind the holiday that he had never learned in school.
"It's always interesting when you can learn something new about yourself..." he said. "It was so rewarding to have that in your knowledge bank, so that's pretty much the reason then and now that I continue to celebrate."
He says it's also healthy for the young people involved, who learn about other resources and outlets in the community as a result of the Kwanzaa celebration.
"I think the most important thing is togetherness and creativity, that you can be whatever you want to be, nothing can limit you," said Marion Ruffin. "If you ignore the noise around us, you can do whatever you want, and you can bring it back to the community, and you can bring up someone else so that they can go out and come back."
