Local Kwanzaa Celebrations begin in St. Pete
Cultural Performances, Black-Owned Vendors, and Local Business History Highlighting Cooperative Economics
St. Petersburg, FL — On Monday, December 29, 2025, community members are invited to gather for a Kwanzaa Day 4 (Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics) Celebration from 6:00–8:00 PM at McCabe United Methodist Church, located at 2800 26th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712.
Hosted by One Community Grocery Co-op (OCGC) in partnership with McCabe United Methodist Church, Childs Park Neighborhood Association, and community partners, the event will honor Ujamaa, the Kwanzaa principle focused on building and sustaining businesses together and sharing in the collective wealth of the community.
The celebration will feature musical and cultural performances, a vibrant vendor fair showcasing local Black-owned businesses and makers, and a special storytelling segment highlighting the history of Black businesses in South St. Petersburg.
“Ujamaa is not a new concept in South St. Pete,” said Erica “Zenzele” Hardison of One Community Grocery Co-op. “Our community has a long lineage of cooperative economics—from barbershops and corner stores to mutual aid networks and business districts like The Deuces. This celebration is about honoring that legacy while imagining what’s possible next.”
A featured highlight of the evening will be a brief historical reflection on the legacy of Black entrepreneurship in South St. Petersburg, including the role of 22nd Street South, the rise, fall, and lessons of Tangerine Plaza, and the importance of cooperative and community-owned business models today.
The event is free and family-friendly and is open to residents of all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring family members, friends, and neighbors to celebrate culture, creativity, and collective economic power.
For more information and to RSVP, visit: https://shorturl.at/Y856u
About One Community Grocery Co-op
One Community Grocery Co-op is a community-owned grocery initiative rooted in South St. Petersburg, working to advance food access, cooperative ownership, and community wealth through education, engagement, and economic collaboration.