While there are still missions to be accomplished and hurdles to leap in the greater Portsmouth area, there is massive progress being made all over by everyday people who are either providing a service, volunteering, serving in office, or donating to good causes. We frequently hear that we are in a renaissance, as new developments continue to pop up, new events are added to the annual calendar, and progress is made. But why? These things don’t manifest themselves.
In a weekly column, for one year, I plan on writing about a different member of the community who strives to make this renaissance go. I’ll be highlighting business owners, volunteers, faith-based leaders, professionals, and more.
I am on column 15 into this journey, after highlighting nine individuals, four couples, and a set of volunteer dogs. This is the fourth column in a sub-series of four, in which I plan to highlight people who accomplish something big in the community for the holiday season.
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Maureen Cadogan is a big name during the holiday season, which can sometimes be looked over, because she is an influential community member year-round for many reasons.
As for the holidays, Cadogan recently ended the seven-day season celebration of Kwanza.
“Kwanzaa is a non-religious cultural holiday for us, which does not conflict with any religion,” Cadogan explained. “The purpose of which is to bring unity and pride and accountability to our people and community.”
According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga. Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture.
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“The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa,” the NMAAHC explains. “The seven principles which form its core were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent.”
According to Cadogan, during the week of Kwanzaa, the customary greeting to family and friends is “Habari gani,” a Swahili phrase meaning “What is the news?” The response is one of the seven principles, depending on which day of Kwanzaa it is.
These principles include Umoja, Unity; Kujichagulia, Self-Determination; Ujima, Responsibility; Ujamaa, Cooperative Economics; Nia, Purpose; Kuumba, Creativity; and Imani, Faith.
In her class, which she offers nearly annually, Cadogan breaks down the meanings and purposes of these principals.
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December 26: Umoja, to strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
December 27: Kujichagulia, to define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
December 28: Ujima, to build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together.
December 29: Ujamaa, to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
December 30: Nia, to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
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December 31: Kuumba, to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
January 1: Imani, to believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Cadogan is involved in the community throughout the year, however.
The community leader is the executive director of the homeless shelter, is heavily involved in the Martin Luther King Jr. events, and more.
The woman has been involved in many community programs and events and has accomplished a lot in 30 years. One of the highlights of her career, according to Cadogan, was raising $1.3 million to operate an overflow shelter in the armory.
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However, she loves nothing more than working with the youth, through educational programming.
“Enlightening our youth on our culture and history is my favorite,” Cadogan said. “Our youth need to learn where we came from as a people in order to move forward in their lives. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Cadogan said she has been community minded since she was a child, thanks to her grandmother’s mantra which she has turned into a mission.
“If I can help somebody as I pass along this way, then my living will not be in vain,” Cadogan said.
Cadogan said that she has enjoyed her work at the homeless shelter. The woman learned about the topic early on in life and it impacted her into action.
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While she has been executive director of the Homeless Shelter and the 14th Street Community Center, she is also the current MLK committee chair, a volunteer as a Black History and Multicultural Educator, curator of the Black History Mobile Museum, participant of the Ohio State University Folklore Field School, is a Kentucky Colonel, and is a recipient of the Purple Heart Community Service Award.
In one part of her life, which had a great impact on her direction, she was a professional gospel singer.
“God groomed me for this line of work. When I was younger, much younger, I went to Oakland, California until the bottom fell out, because I was living beyond my means,” Cadogan explained. “Well, the bottom fell out and I tasted homelessness. I was never on the streets, but I definitely understood couch surfing. I knew I couldn’t call home. I learned how to use food pantries. I found out how to make everything work. I didn’t realize God was grooming me so when I returned home, I would have a heart for the homeless. I questioned Him at the time, asking why I was being given this struggle when I did everything in His name, but then everything fell into place. I had to learn that lesson to accept my calling, because my work is more than a job to me.”
Her work has created opportunities for many over the years.
“Being able to sow seeds into someone’s life and help them regain or gain self-sufficiency and independence and stand on their own two feet and reach success in obtaining and maintaining occupancy is impactful and makes it all worth it,” Cadogan claimed. “When there is a need that pops up, you just have to run to it and offer help in any way you can.” You haven’t helped someone until you do something for someone who can never repay you. You do it because it is the right thing to do.”