A Message from Karyn

Happy Holidays Everyone! 

We hope this month's newsletter finds you well as we all prepare to gather with family and loved ones and celebrate our many milestones of 2017. 

We would also like to say "thank you" for your continuous support this year and hope that you all continue to take advantage of the many holiday offerings this season.  We truly appreciate all of your hard work and dedication from organizing school visits to helping us fund our Bessie Coleman story due next year. 

As you make your way through this month's newsletter be sure to check out exciting home holiday activities, history lessons, and giving opportunities you can handle with the click of a button.

Again, happy holidays and we wish you all the best in 2018.  


Best, 
Karyn
Need a fun activity to do at home this holiday season? Be sure to check out Sweet Blackberry's Holiday entertainment Guide filled with movies available to stream, DIY crafts and snack ideas. 

Click here to check out our guide. 

T h e H i st o ry o f K w a n z a a

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday for the week between December 26th and January 1st each year. 

Established in 1966 by Dr. Maulan Karenga, a professor of chairman and Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, Kwanzaa was established to help African Americans remember their heritage by combining several different harvest celebrations such as those of the Ashanti and Zulu to form it's basis. 

Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles with the lighting of a candle providing family and friends with the opportunity to gather and discuss it's meaning. 

The Seven Principles are: 
  1. umoja - to maintain unity in the family and community
  2. kujichagulia - self-determination, to be responsible and speak for oneself
  3. ujima - collective work and responsibility, to build and maintain a community
  4. ujamaa - economic co-operation, to help and profit one another
  5. nia - purpose, to build and develop the community for the benefit of the people
  6. kuumba - creativity, to do everything possible to leave the community more beautiful and beneficial for future generations
  7. imani - faith, to believe in parents, teachers and leaders.
Read more about the history and celebration of Kwanzaa here. 
Support Sweet Blackberry
This Holiday Season with AmazonSmile



Did you know that you can support Sweet Blackberry while knocking out your holiday shopping when you purchase items through  Amazon .com? 

AmazonSmile is Amazon's charity program that  donates a portion of the purchase to your favorite charity organization. That's right! This month, we are continuing to encourage you to register Sweet Blackberry as your charity of choice for simple charitable giving at the click of a button. 

Simply register here: https://smile.amazon.com/ 


Book of the Month: Amazing Peace By: Maya Angelou

Angelou's beautiful, moving, and beloved poem, which she first read at the 2005 White House tree-lighting ceremony, now comes alive as a fully illustrated children's book, celebrating the promise of peace in the holiday season. In this simple story, a family joins with their community-rich and poor, black and white, Christian, Muslim, and Jew-to celebrate the holidays. 

Check it out here. 
What  We're R eading 

NPR - How Racism May Cause Black Mothers To Suffer The Death of Their Infants 

The Grio -Black mayor of segregated Georgia town says calls out city's racism

Black Enterprise - Four African Americans Awarded Marshall Scholarship 

PIX 11 - FDNY Names First African American female as deputy chief 

ACLU Blog -Ferguson's School Board Elections Dilute the African-American Vote

The New York Times - Jordan Peele: "I'd Never Seen My Fears as an African-American Man Onscreen"

The Salt Lake Tribune -Teenager Maame Biney makes history as first female African-American speedskating Olympian

We are excited to share that we have begun sending out rewards from our summer Kickstarter just in time for the holidays. If you haven't already, many who have donated, you will receive a Bessie postcard in the mail before the new year begins. 

Please keep an eye out in your inboxes as we will be may be messaging you for personal updates regarding your mailing. 

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us. 
#SweetBlackHistory
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is one of my signature tunes. 
I star in "holiday" movie Lethal Weapon. 
In 2011, I was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

Who am I? 
Tweet your answer to  @SwtBlackberry  for a shout out in next month's newsletter! 

The answer to last month's trivia question was Sylvia Woods! 
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