BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — While many find themselves in the holiday limbo between Christmas sweets and New Year's resolutions, some in Bakersfield celebrated the African American holiday of Kwanzaa.
"I think it's just bringing the community together to celebrate unity, peace and love," Cynthia Baninge said.
Kwanzaa is an annual week-long celebration from December 26th to January 1st that honors African American and Pan-African culture, history, and community. The holiday, which started in the 1960s, pays homage to African heritage and focuses on seven main principles, including unity, purpose, and faith.
Monday marked the fourth day of Kwanzaa, which focuses on cooperative economics. According to Bakari Sanu, director of The Sankofa Collective, this day holds special significance.
"Today we are celebrating the fourth day of Kwanzaa. The fourth day of Kwanzaa is called Ujamaa. Ujamaa is a Swahili word for cooperative economics," Sanu said.
The celebration was free and open to the public, featuring an art gallery, vendors, and traditional singing and dancing. For Sanu, an annual celebration like this is important to keep African heritage alive.
"Kwanzaa is important because it is an expression of African heritage and culture. African Americans did not drop out the sky. They did not float in on the sea. We have a heritage. We have a culture, and Kwanzaa emphasizes and manifests that culture in an annual tradition called Kwanzaa," Sanu said.
The celebration comes in the middle of the holiday week, ending on January 1st, just in time for New Year's resolutions.
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