Kwanzaa is different this year. Celebrants are masked and most events are streamed, but the principles first developed in 1966 by college professor Maulana Karenga remain strong among the local Black community.
Sunday was the first night of Kwanzaa, that of Umoja-Unity, held at the Delavan Grider Community Center. It included a celebration of the lives of Black figures in the arts and media, like Ujima Theatre founder Lorna C. Hill.
The crowd was smaller than usual at the center, reflecting the current county mask mandate and COVID checks at the entrance.
Co-Chair Aymanuel Radford said the essential goals remain.
"Remain focused on what Kwanzaa is," he said. "See, Kwanzaa isn't about relation, isn't about your walk of life. It's literally a cultural holiday and we try to make sure we put that in. Everyone's welcome at Kwanzaa. The seven principles, Unity, Faith, Purpose, all the things that are associated with being a good person, being a good people. But we welcome everybody. And we stay true to our foundational principles and we don't waver on that."
Radford said there is increasing participation by African immigrants who have settled here, with many familiar with Swahili. That's the widely-used African language founder Karenga used to develop the names of the different days of the festival.
Zawadi Books co-owner Sharon Holley was also there. Holley said her book store's collection helps Black people learn about their history and themselves.
"The books go back to teach us as far back as we can," Holley said. "We carry books on ancient Africa. We carry books on the contemporary African Continent. We carry writers from the continent. We carry books written by African Americans, explaining the history of African Americans in this country, as well."
Holley said Zawadi's books help the increasing number of African immigrants learn about the country to which they have moved and learn its culture.
Earlier in the day, there was a flag-raising of the Buffalo Kwanzaa Committee in Niagara Square that included comments from Mayor Byron Brown.
"It is critically important for it to be a united community, a community that works together and that's one of the beautiful things about Buffalo," Brown said. "We respect diversity. We respect the various cultural backgrounds in our community, that make one strong community."
Monday night is Kujichagulia-Self Determination, to be held at East High School in Buffalo. The event will be focused on African arts and culture.
On Wednesday, founder Karenga is slated to deliver a virtual keynote address.
