The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, founded in 1970 to celebrate the creativity and spirituality of black culture and today one of New England’s premiere college choirs, hosts the 12th Annual Dr Walter J Leonard Black Arts Festival (BAF). 

The festival will take place from Thursday, March 4th, 2010, to Saturday, March 6th, 2010.  The four-day celebration features various workshops, performances, and displays of artwork, graphic media, film, dance, spokenword, music, acting, and screenwriting highlighting the creative contributions of talented and distinguished artists, paying tribute to the African Diaspora. 

This year’s theme is Sankofa. Sankofa is a Ghanaian word which means: San (return) Ko (Go) Fa (look, seek, take): go back and take or "it's not bad to look back" as said in Ghana. Sankofa calls us to constantly look back at our roots, taking from the past what is good, and building upon those things in the present so that we may make progress in the future through the knowledge and wisdom of our forefathers.

In fitting with Kuumba’s mission, to leave a space better than it was found, it is the hope of the 2010 Black Arts Festival Committee that this year’s attendees will feel enlightened, entertained, and inspired by our program of events. 

We hope you will join us March 4th-6th for what promises to be a truly wonderful, celebratory experience.  For a complete schedule of events, please see events.