Black heritage celebrated in Seattle's UmojaFest

For Michon Wheeler, seeing daughter Charity marching in the UmojaFest parade decked out in a maroon and silver sequined Zionettes uniform and tap boots was like seeing herself 30 years ago.

"I practiced right over there at Garfield High School," she said, pointing down 23rd Avenue where the UmojaFest parade was about to march Saturday afternoon. "When she decided to be in the drill team, I thought, why not? It kept me out of trouble."

The Zionettes drew loud applause from people lined up for the African Heritage Parade, part of the three-day UmojaFest, a black-community festival. "Umoja" is the Swahili word for "unity," according to the event's Web site.

The festival also offered children's games and a youth hip-hop rally Friday. Saturday's parade ended in Judkins Park, where local high-schoolers competed in the Heal the Hood basketball tournament.

Other activities at the park included a carnival and live music at the Soul of the City Awards, headlined by Amanda Diva, member of the rap duo Floetry. The three-day event culminates today with church in the park and gospel music performances.

K. Wyking Garrett, UmojaFest president, said he expected the event to draw up to 5,000 people. He said the festival is a "community institution," with its roots in the late 1940s. Garrett's father helped organize the event, and his son, 15, helped with this year's basketball tournament.

"We're cultivating the next generation of leaders and community builders," Garrett said. "It brings us together for one common cause, to celebrate our victories and bond together to make things better that need improvement."

Michon Wheeler remembers when her community drill team, the Drill-A-Rines, won the state youth drill-team competition in 1977.

Now 10-year-old Charity, an assistant captain in the Zion Preparatory Academy's drill team, has helped the Zionettes win several competitions and has marched in at least a dozen parades since the team formed in October. The UmojaFest parade on Saturday was the first time the Zionettes led the parade route.

The one-mile march from 23rd Avenue and Union Street to Judkins Park can be a tough trip in tap boots.

"That's why you wear two pairs of cotton socks," Charity said, as team captain Nia Alexander, 10, slipped off a boot to reveal a pair of fuzzy green socks over her regular athletic socks.

"I have to put these on or my taps would hurt," Nia said. "We have to keep going even when we get tired because people are watching us."

Kris Johnston, who lives near Green Lake, sat on her motorized skateboard on a curb near 23rd Avenue and East Jefferson Street as the parade went by. UmojaFest is less commercialized than Seafair, she said.

"You just can't get the catfish and the hot links and the greens anywhere else at Seafair," said Johnston.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com