California Kwanzaa Ag Expo, a celebration of "Agriculture the Foundation of Black Culture"

Sacramento - Our 10th Annual, California Kwanzaa Ag Expo, "Agriculture the Foundation of Black Culture" we share a broader perspective of the Kwanzaa Holiday Season and celebrates our decade of service, December 4-6, 2008, Sacramento, CA.

California is the world's leading Agriculture region. We showcase past obstacles, present opportunity and work toward future solutions, in partnership, with the United States Department of Agriculture. With our community based organization partners we share successful public policy changes and success stories in our California State Capitol during our annual event, California Kwanzaa Ag Expo 2008.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schaffer and our “California Grown" Agriculture Secretary, A.G. Kawamura both continue to demonstrate courageous leadership toward breaking down historic barriers nationwide and statewide, in "our last U.S. plantation" our United States Department of Agriculture.

California Black Farmers should have been declared an endangered species and received the proper governmental protection, however we have survived though only, 1/4th of 1 percent of all California Farmers. We now prepare for global competition through expansion of our “first fruits celebration” expanding our Kwanzaa Celebration to 365 days a year and actively seeking partnerships throughout the world.

We must embrace change and take full custody of the new agribusiness opportunities made available within the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, to provide equal access to government resources to develop our African and Caribbean ethnic specialty agriculture products that provide positive diet related health outcomes.

California Black Farmers have sustained an unyielding, relentless attack, often by State and Federal legislative action, judicial review and executive direction. Our California Kwanzaa Ag Expo 2008 celebrates positive change that expands access to technical assistance, career development and economic expansion throughout all aspects of our U.S. Agriculture Industry.

Through sacrifice of our ancestors and elders we have regained our stature and rightful place in the world's leading Agriculture community, we proudly stand upon the shoulders of a great historic legacy of Black Agriculture; California is named after the Black Queen Califia whom battled Hernan Cortez for her ancestral lands of ancient Baja California. William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., African Founding Father of California, established Agriculture Export in California; his steam vessel is seen on our California State Seal, developing modern maritime transportation from his 35,000 acre Leidesdorff Ranch along today’s American River Parkway.

The historical legacy of Black Farmers is best reflected in the creation Kwanzaa Holiday, an ancient Pan-African agricultural "first fruits harvest celebration” reestablished by Dr. Maulana Karenga and the US Organization, in 1966 California. Our international holiday is the "California Grown" expression of the very best from many Ancient African traditions. The 7 principles and symbols of Kwanzaa are universal and available for to our entire world to enjoy and practice.

One standard for all humanity is the vision we practice by restoring "Agriculture is the Foundation of Black Culture" we must take greater responsibility to lead the world in providing access to basic diet related food security for people of African ancestry throughout the world whom suffer from unnecessary hunger, we are prepared for that change while building a more perfect union, today.