PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Monday marks the first day of the seven-day celebration of Kwanzaa. Every day, for the next week, the African American Museum in Philadelphia has events planned to observe the seven principles of the tradition.
“Kwanzaa is a celebration, an African American holiday, that is rooted in African harvest traditions that uplift the principles of family, community and culture,” said Ashley Jordan, the museum’s president and CEO.
“There will be food that has influences from the continent of Africa, as well as one spoken-word [performance] as well as a drum circle,” she said. Other days will feature African American vendors and online discussions.
A listing of the week's events is available at the museum's website.
“Each day means something that is connected to a Swahili term that gives reference and meaning to community, culture and celebration,” she said. And every night, one of seven candles is lit, each representing one of those seven principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).
On one night, the museum will open its doors to small businesses for lesson on cooperative economics, Jordan said. “We’re excited, because the museum has over 57 African American vendors who will be stationed throughout the museum.”
She says, although the tradition was created for people of the African diaspora, it holds something for people of all cultures.
“Because of the message within the principles, each day means something that we can all use and apply to our own lives, and we can see it throughout our works,” she said.
Celebrated now by some 6 million Americans, Kwanzaa has grown in popularity since it was first observed in 1966.
Related
