Welcome to our Center !
Principal purposes and services of our organization
Promotes positive youth development among children of color and other children in the Harford area and beyond, through a comprehensive, multi-cultural, multi-generational program of structured arts and humanities activities (“Nzinga’s Watoto”); fosters a multi-cultural society and deepens public understanding of the history and cultural achievements of Africa and the African Diaspora through educational programs and public performances at important Connecticut venues by the “Nzinga’s Daughters” performing ensemble and associated professional artists.
History
The Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc., specializing in cultural education and social change, is named for an exemplary 15th century African queen who, among many other achievements, prevented any of her subjects from being sold into slavery. The Center, an umbrella organization for a variety of initiatives, was formed in 2004, but is the outgrowth of a 20-year-old grassroots initiative. The grassroots initiative has been the labor-of-love of two artists, Gail Williams and Dayna Snell, who are mother and daughter and come from a long-established Plainville family. In 1990, they enlisted their friends and began the first of two distinct but related programs, “Nzinga’s Watoto” and “Nzinga’s Daughters”, a semi-professional performing ensemble. In 2003, soon after establishing a Board of Directors, the initiative was accepted as an affiliated program by JDPP, Inc., a respected Hartford non-profit arts organization which mentors emerging multi-cultural arts organizations. JDPP, Inc. acted as the fiduciary for the Queen Ann Nzinga Center. In April 2008 Queen Ann Nzinga Center became incorporated and became its own federally recognized 501 (c) 3 charitable non-profit organization. Over the years the Center has received supportive grants, through JDPP, Inc., from the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Elizabeth Norton Trust Fund, Main Street Foundation, Evelyn Preston Memorial Fund, American Savings Bank Foundation, Michael and Janice Suisman Trust Fund, George and Grace Long Foundation, the Wendy Fort Foundations and the Charles J. Parker Trust for Public Music Fund. The Center’s office is in Plainville. It conducts programs throughout the greater Hartford area.
Mission and Goals
1) Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc., promotes positive youth development
among children of color and other children (“Nzinga’s Watoto”) in the
greater Hartford area, by mobilizing the community to nurture its
children through a comprehensive, long term, multicultural,
multi-generational program of structured arts and humanities activities.
It uses an Afrocentric model of teaching and the principles of Kwanzaa
to foster school success, life skills, positive self-esteem, character
development, artistic skills, and appreciation of cultural heritage. The
success of the program is measured by the success of the children who
participate.
2) Queen Ann Nzinga Center, Inc., (Nzinga’s Daughters) fosters a
multicultural society and deepens public understanding of the history
and cultural achievements of Africa and the African Diaspora (in North,
Central and South America and the Caribbean), through educational
programs, worships and public performances at important Connecticut
venues by the “Nzinga’s Daughters” performing ensemble and associated
professional artists.
Current Programs and Activities
1) “Nzinga’s Watoto” (“Watoto” means “children” in Swahili), previously
known as the “Personal Enrichment Program or PEP”, is an educational
program for young people (ages 5-19) that meets throughout the school
year for three hours on Saturday afternoons at public spaces in the
community, 20 young people at a time – nearly 500 so far – learn a wide
variety of skills and demonstrate their accomplishments through
performances for the community. Parents are actively involved and many
community volunteers mentor the children; special guests are invited as
role models, and field trips introduce the children to community
resources. Older students and graduates act as assistant teachers and
volunteers. The program is best known for a big annual public
celebration of Kwanzaa at the Raymond Hill School, in late December at
which both the children and professional artists perform.
2) “Nzinga’s Daughters” is a women’s performing ensemble of 6-10
professionals and trained semi-professionals. The ensemble’s varied
programs of African, Caribbean and African-American music, dance,
storytelling and poetry have been presented more than 200 times over the
past decade at community events, and at major arts and cultural
Institutions around Connecticut (e.g. in July 2004 as part of “Women and
their Music” at the Mark Twain House). The Underground Railway is a
favorite focus. “Nzinga’s Daughters” has a state-wide reputation. It
regularly sponsors a free summer concert, “Nzinga’s Daughters presents
Music from the African Diaspora”. It has been held annually at The
Bushnell in Hartford since 2003. This event has been very successful,
more then 550 attendees, concert grew in 2008 moving from the Great room
to the Belding Theater in 2009. Bushnell. Members of the ensemble also
teach and mentor the “Watoto” who perform in this program as well.
Population Served
Participants in “Nzinga’s Watoto” and “P.R.I.D.E.” are children and
young people ages 5-19 from the greater Hartford area. The co-artistic
directors are Plainville natives; the current location of the program is
a Plainville church that is over 100 years old. Local roots are deep.
Recruitment concentrates on the African-American community in Hartford,
W. Hartford, New Britain, Plainville, Windsor and Bloomfield and
Bristol. A majority of participants are African-American; however the
program has also had white and Latino students, and a significant number
of bi-racial children. Its philosophy is that all children should learn
to appreciate African and African-American culture.
Audiences
The target audience for performances by both “Nzinga’s Daughters” and students in the “Nzinga’s Watoto and other programs is potentially the entire population of central Connecticut. Media publicity is comprehensive and encourages everyone to attend. Audiences for professional performances by “Nzinga’s Daughters” reflect the overall demographics of the region. Audiences for student performances, including the Kwanzaa Celebration, are 70-80% African American.