Michigan Cities Plan Kwanzaa Events; Detroit to Display 30-Foot-Tall Kinara Monument

Cities across Michigan are preparing to celebrate Kwanzaa, a time for appreciation and recognition of African and African American cultures, from Dec. 26, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025. Celebrations include the following: Grand Rapids Kwanzaa Community Kickoff Concert: Held Dec. 26 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Four Star Theatre in Grand Rapids will feature an artist market, dancing and singing, African drumming, poetry, food and drink, and more. Kwanzaa Community Dinner in Jackson: The Southside Festival Series will hold its fourth annual Kwanzaa Community Dinner at the C-Store Deli in Jackson on Dec. 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Motor City Kwanzaa Celebration and Kinara Lighting in Detroit: This third annual celebration runs from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. The event will include a 30-foot-tall Kinara monument and the lighting of a unity candle. The daily lighting of the Kinara will follow each day through Jan. 1 between 5 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Saginaw African Cultural Festival Kwanzaa: Saginaw will host several Kwanzaa events from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 during this festival. What Is the Significance of Kwanzaa?  According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Kwanzaa focuses on several principles in Swahili linked to values found throughout Africa: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," the "first fruits," recognizing the first fruits of the harvest in African communities. Kwanzaa has been celebrated for more than 50 years. Maulana Ron Karenga, an activist and scholar, conceived the Kwanzaa holiday in 1966, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.