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Minnesota Now with Nina Moini
Cathy Wurzer and Lindsay Guentzel

A 10-year-old author reads his book 'Jaheem's First Kwanzaa'

A young person sits while holding a book.
Zephaniah Martin wrote "Jaheen's First Kwanzaa," a book that explores the African American celebration. The 10-year-old gave a public reading of his book during the Kwanzaa celebration at Midtown Global Market on Dec. 26, 2021.
Lindsay Guentzel | MPR News

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As the year comes to a close, many Minnesotans are celebrating Kwanzaa, a holiday dedicated to African American culture that runs through New Year's Day. Sunday at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, the holiday kicked off with a day full of free events for the community.

That included a reading of “Jaheem's First Kwanzaa,” a book written by 10-year-old African American author Zephaniah Martin. We recorded his spirited reading for Minnesota Now listeners.

Martin was honored as the 2021 winner of the Youth Writing Competition sponsored by Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute.

When we asked the young scribe about the inspiration for his first book, he said that was a tough question for him to answer because he didn't really have any inspiration — he just did it.

You can find information on other free events happening at the Midtown Global Market this week to celebrate Kwanzaa on the market’s event calendar, and copies of “Jaheem’s First Kwanzaa” are on sale now.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full story.

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