Kite Day & MCTSAA

By: Ijendu Obasi

MCTSAA Kite Day

Driving through the community approaching the Robert Hope Community Center, I felt the warmth of last year’s memories accompany my anticipated arrival. Once inside the center, I witnessed the familiar emotion of hope I experienced last year. Participants of all ages contributing to a recreational tradition long neglected but not forgotten. As I observed the young working with the old, I perceived how powerful the union of elderly wisdom and youthful creativity can be. Each kite was well constructed in the “tried and true” traditional fashion with colorful designs and decorations reflective of the vivid imagery of today’s pop culture.

While the kites were being made, foods of all varieties were being prepared. The chatter of friendly conversations and the embraces of friends reunited made the kite event feel more like a family reunion. At the end of an action packed day, one thing that dawned on all present was the power and importance of community and the need to keep the bonds strong for our collective health and well-being.

Witnessing the event gain momentum from the previous year, I anxiously wait to see the progression of how things will materialize for the next kite event. With that in mind, I’ve already marked my calendar for participation in next year’s event and will work to spread the word among friends and peers in hopes that they to can witness the feel of rekindling traditions of times past in hopes of reclaiming what we once had; that is a united community that we loved and loved us back.

Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation
P.O. Box 66478
Mobile, Alabama 36660