Between the Christmas lights and the echoes of “Auld Lang Syne”, there is a celebration of culture.
Dancers at the Coyaba Theater in Washington, DC, are rehearsing for a performance honoring Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration created in the 1960s during the civil rights movement and focuses on cultivating and appreciating the lives of African Americans, past and present.
Sylvia Soumah is the director of the Coyaba Theater. For 15 years, artists have used dance to bring the seven principles of Kwanzaa to life.
“It’s about life and how one should really live their life,” he said.
There are seven principles of Kwanzaa:
-Umoja, or unity
-Kujichagulia, or self-determination
-Ujima, or collective work and responsibility
-Ujamaa, or cooperative economy (support for black businesses and entrepreneurs)
-Nia, or purpose
-Kuumba, or creativity
-Imani, or faith
SEE MORE: Why are there seven candles for Kwanzaa?
“This year, our purpose is Imani, faith,” Soumah said. “So how do we keep our faith? How do we keep going despite everything going on around us?”
They are not alone. In the past, those principles have been set by world leaders and pop culture.
“I have to tell you that my favorite is the self-determination one: Kujichagulia,” Vice President Kamala Harris said.
A typical Kwanzaa celebration might include dance, but also the wearing of Kente clothing, poetry, discussions about the beginning of the day, and a meal.
It also includes the lighting of the Kinara.
“You have a red candle that is for the fight. The black candle is for people of African descent and the green candle is for the earth and the future,” Soumah explained.
The celebration has gained strength over the years, spreading to other countries and through the African diaspora.
“Kwanzaa makes you take a look at everyday life, everyday situations and shows you the importance of being in the present,” Soumah said.
It is a decades-long tradition with an international place in today’s culture.
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