About

/oo-MO-jah/

Umoja

A Kiswahili word meaning “unity.” Used to highlight the importance of unity and togetherness in the family, community and nation. Umoja is the first of seven principles (Nguzo Saba) celebrated during the Kwanzaa holiday celebration.

The Festival

Named for a Kiswahili word meaning “Unity,” The Portsmouth Umoja Festival is one of the oldest festivals celebrating African-American culture in the United States. Created and operated by the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, the Festival offers an exciting blend of ancient and contemporary art forms over three days on the downtown Portsmouth waterfront. Nationally acclaimed musical acts, children’s activities and a world of traditional foods, arts, crafts and entertainment abound, including the Heritage Tours, exhibitions, community information area, and a dazzling arts & crafts marketplace filled with sculptures, paintings, prints, baskets, quilts and other assorted hand-crafted wares.

The Culture

The Umoja Festival was created to link visitors to the sights, sounds, tastes and soul of the African continent, while symbolizing unity in the family, community and nation. The festival opens on Friday with a traditional African drum call and a blessing ceremony by the Council of Elders. In keeping with African tradition, permission from a community’s elders is sought for their wisdom, knowledge and experience before such a festival can begin – a tradition the Festival has always observed with elders of the Portsmouth community, The Festival then continues through Saturday with food, marketplace shopping and live music, and ends Sunday with a jubilee of traditional gospel music.

The Community

To further highlight the importance of unity in our community, the Umoja Festival invites a number of nonprofit and social service organizations to set up exhibits and spread awareness about available services to festival participants.

Meet The 2025 Umoja Festival Elders

Mr. Thomas Davis and Ms. Regina Owens

Mr. Thomas Davis - Umoja King Elder

Mr. Thomas Davis became a resident of Portsmouth at a very young age after his family moved there. He’s an alumnus of I.C. Norcom, Class of 1970. He served in the U.S. Army for 23 years and enjoyed traveling around the world, visiting many countries, and learning different languages, with Russian and Dutch being his favorites. Mr. Davis has been an active member of St. Mark Baptist Church for over 60 years and is now a very active member of the Portsmouth Senior Station. Mr. Davis’s favorite Bible verse is, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”

Ms. Regina Owens - Umoja Queen Elder

Ms. Regina Owens, a Baltimore, MD, resident for most of her life, decided to become a permanent resident of Portsmouth, VA, some years ago. She retired as a Behavioral Technician at Kennedy Krieger Institute after 10 years and later retired as a Medical Technician at Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center. Ms. Owens’s favorite activities include bowling, dancing, and, most of all, cruising. She was a member of Episcopal Church of the Holy Covenant and is also a faithful member of the Portsmouth Senior Station, where she is known as a dedicated co-worker. Her favorite color is purple, and she is a Baltimore Ravens #1 fan—"Go Ravens!"