Kwanzaa Celebrations Begin Amid Controversy and Historic Firsts

The seven-day holiday honoring African American heritage sparks debate while marking new milestones in Philadelphia and Dorchester.

Kwanzaa, a seven-day non-religious holiday observed in the US to honor African Americans' ancestral roots, began on December 26 and will last until January 1. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a Black nationalist and professor of Pan-African studies.
Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to a specific principle, marked by lighting a new candle on the kinara, a seven-branched candelabra. The principles are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden acknowledged the holiday on social media, sparking backlash from some users who criticized them for celebrating a holiday founded by a black nationalist convicted of torturing women.
For the first time in history, Philadelphia commemorated Kwanzaa at City Hall with the ceremonial lighting of an almost 11-foot tall kinara. The African American Museum in Philadelphia will host a daily event corresponding with the principle of the day from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.
In Dorchester, the first night of Kwanzaa brought the Black community together at the library in Roxbury’s Nubian Square. The celebration included a call-and-response drum performance, a rendition of the gospel hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a fashion show, and a raffle.