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@VoCommunism
VOC is proud to announce the grand opening of the Victims of Communism Museum in Washington, DC. Join us to teach truth, seek justice, and remember the victims.

On Saturday, December 6, VOC held its annual Family Day at the VOC Museum to celebrate the holiday season in the spirit of hope and freedom. 

The event featured a reading of The Rooster who Would Not be Quiet! by Cuban author Carmen Agra Deedy, a cultural dance performance by the DC Music Academy’s SLAVA School of Ukrainian Music and Dance Children’s Ensemble, a presentation of the Captive Nations Menorah, and the lighting of VOC’s annual Captive Nations Christmas Tree.

DC Music Academy’s SLAVA School of Ukrainian Music and Dance celebrates Ukrainian culture through vibrant performances that highlight unity, resilience, and heritage. The ensemble’s young dancers share the beauty of traditional Ukrainian music and dance and spread joy and cultural pride wherever they perform, from the Kennedy Center to community festivals across the region.

In The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!, author Carmen Agra Deedy tells the story of the village of La Paz after the election of the bossy Don Pepe as their mayor. Before long, singing of any kind is outlawed. Even the teakettle is afraid to whistle! But there is one noisy rooster who doesn’t give two mangos about this mayor’s silly rules. Instead, he does what roosters were born to do. He sings: “Kee-kee-ree-KEE!” Carmen Deedy’s masterfully crafted allegory will be read by VOC’s Latin America Studies Program Officer, Ana Leca-Harmata, a witness of socialism in her home country of Venezuela. Complimentary copies of The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!, signed by the author, were available for children.

VOC also welcomed families for a special Captive Nations Christmas Tree Lighting, honoring the enduring spirit of those who have fought for freedom and celebrating the season of hope and unity, with ornaments from around the world that represent nations once held captive under communism and the shared dream of freedom from tyranny.

Thank you for joining us for a day of education, storytelling, and Christmas cheer that reminds us all of the true gifts of the season.

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