Local nonprofit, Umoja Village, is hosting a weekend of events to unite the community for three exciting days of music, food, history, and golf all for a worthy cause -- Saturday, Oct. 21st through Monday, Oct. 23rd, 2023.  

Day one begins with the 15th Annual Shoutfest on Saturday, October 21st, 11AM-5PM, at the Beverly D. Clyburn Generations Park, 700 Mack Henry Holland Drive in Aiken, South Carolina.  Shoutfest is the largest, free outdoor Gospel festival in the Central Savannah River Area and features performances from nearly 20 Gospel artists; over 40 food, service, and merchandise vendors; and a fun-packed Kidszone.  Attendees are encouraged to bring their blankets or lawn chairs, money to support the vendors, and a positive attitude.  Shoutfest, which was previously presented by former Gospel radio station, WAAW Shout 94.7 FM, is now spearheaded by Umoja Village, a community-based nonprofit that connects the underserved and underrepresented with needed resources while filling in any gaps in order to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.  Umoja Village also operates the Umoja Village Resource Center located in Aiken.  Shoutfest's top sponsors areThe Chandler Law Firm, McDonalds owned by Tom and Pam Powers, Security Federal Bank, and Brighter Side Roofing.

On day two, Umoja Village has partnered with the University of South Carolina Aiken Etherredge Center to host a film screening of the documentary Descended from the Promised Land: The Legacy of Black Wall Street. The film is about the impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre in which Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, the most prosperous Black community in America, was intentionally destroyed in 1921.

The event will be held on Sunday, October 22nd, 2:30 p.m., at the Etherredge Center, located at 340 Scholar Loop, Aiken, SC.  A social reception with refreshments will precede the viewing of the film. Guests will have the opportunity to speak with finance professionals, win prizes and receive information relative to generational wealth creation opportunities. A post-screening panel discussion will highlight key themes from the film, mobilize the community towards generational wealth creation initiatives, and answer questions from the audience.  Panelists include: Financial services veteran Mr. Malcolm Banks; Dr. Walter Curry, historian and award-winning author;  Mrs. Kelley Cornish, president/CEO for the T.D. Jakes Foundation and former executive VP/CAO of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion (DSRI) at Wells Fargo & Company; Dr. Bobby Donaldson, associate history professor at USC Columbia and director of the USC Center for Civil Rights History and Research; and Ms. Ronic West, founder/executive director of the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce. Umoja Village CEO/cofounder, Mrs. Donna Moore Wesby, will serve as facilitator.

Tickets are on sale now at EtherredgeCenter.UniversityTickets.com. General admission is $20.  Students and seniors may purchase tickets for $10.  Sponsors of this event include the "My Why" Foundation, Aiken Technical College, the Center for African American History, Art & Culture, and the USC Aiken Office of Institutional Culture and Belonging.

Day three closes out Unity Weekend with the first Umoja Village Unity Golf Tournament held Monday, October 23rd, 9:30 a.m. shotgun start at the beautiful Houndslake Country Club, 901 Houndslake Drive, Aiken, SC.  The tournament features a $10,000 Hole-N-One Contest in addition to a silent auction and other event contests.  Individuals and team registrations are still being accepted on umojavillage.com/golf. Proceeds to benefit the Umoja Village Resource Center and youth mentorship initiatives and adult second chance job training programs supported by Umoja Village and outlined in its Crime Prevention Plan.  Top sponsors are Aiken Housing Center, Malcolm Banks, The Chandler Law Firm, Wesby's Products & Services, Keith's BBQ, B&B Ford, Inc., McDonalds owned by Tom and Pam Powers, and Bridgestone.

To learn more about Umoja Village, visit www.umojavillage.com