BREWER – A Bangor woman has gotten her wish and will be able to continue with a traditional Kwanzaa celebration despite threats that were made last month.

Assata Sherrill, 53, was informed Wednesday that the First Congregational Church of Brewer has agreed to donate space for Sherrill to host a Kwanzaa celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16.

“I’m so happy I could cry,” Sherrill said Wednesday. “Right now I’m so excited I don’t know what to do.”

While she has always had her own celebration at home, Sherrill traditionally performs an interpretive dance at the Kwanzaa celebration held by the Greater Bangor chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The NAACP canceled the event this year after the group received a threat.

Kendrick Sawyer, 75, of Brewer made statements about shooting any and all black people he saw attending a meeting of the NAACP at a church in Bangor. Sawyer reportedly made the statements to his doctor at the Togus medical center and made similar statements to a Department of Veterans Affairs police officer.

The celebration Sherrill plans is in no way connected with the NAACP or the Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, of which she is a member.

The Brewer church decided to offer a space for the celebration after a member of the congregation approached interim Pastor Grace Bartlett with the idea.

“It really was one of these things that it was the right thing to do. A church member came in and said, ‘Why aren’t we doing this?,’ and we went from there,” Bartlett said.

During the seven days of Kwanzaa, people celebrate the seven principles of African cultures: Unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

“The community needs to stand together, and any threat to one person or group is a threat against all, so one needs to stand up and speak,” Bartlett said.

Aimee Dolloff may be reached at adolloff@bangordailynews.net or 990-8130.