ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Organizers of the annual Kunta Kinte festival in Annapolis, Md., say the event will not be held this year due to budget shortfalls.
The festival was launched more than 25 years ago. It is named for Kunta Kinte, the character in Alex Haley’s novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” based on research about his ancestors, and the hit ABC mini-series that aired in 1977.
The Capital newspaper reports that the festival depends on sponsorships, grants, volunteers and fees from vendors to present a celebration of African and African-American heritage. The city of Annapolis has co-sponsored the event, which organizers plan to resume next year.
The festival has been held in September in recent years at City Dock, where enslaved Africans once arrived in the U.S.
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