Umoja. Kujichagulia. Ujima. Ujamaa. Nia. Kuumba. Imani.
Or: Unity. Self determination. Responsibility. Cooperative economics. Sense of purpose. Creativity. Faith.
Each of the seven candles of Kwanzaa represents one of these principles. And though the candles are lit one at a time throughout the seven-day holiday, all were alight Wednesday night at the 14th Annual Kwanzaa celebration hosted by the Black Student Union and Multicultural Affairs in the Union Ballroom.
The Unity candle, which is in the middle, is lit first, said Sheila Brown, the associate director for Multicultural Affairs. Those who celebrate Kwanzaa work their way out, lighting the end candles on the last days. The holiday begins Dec. 26 and ends New Year’s Day.
“Each day is dedicated to working toward that principle,” Brown said.
The event Wednesday night included live jazz music, soul food — fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, collard greens, catfish and salad — and spiritual music, all important aspects of black history and culture, Brown said.
The Africana Dance Troupe and the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s step team danced, and the Gospel Choir and the Shades of Brown, which is a group consisting of Brown and members of her family, sang spiritual songs. The Urban Theatre Group performed monologues as well.
Brown said each year they plan for about 350 attendees, but this year they had to bring out 100 extra chairs to accommodate everyone who came.
Throughout the event, speakers talked about the history of Kwanzaa and what it means to those who celebrate the holiday.
“It has been said that Kwanzaa is a black Christmas, but it’s not,” she said.
Though different families celebrate Kwanzaa in different ways, the overarching theme is remembering black history, culture and heritage.
Maulana Karenga founded the holiday in 1966 — the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. During that time, Brown said, the black community was looking for ways to unite.
“We needed to have something that was uniquely ours,” Brown said.
Brown said the BSU and Multicultural Affairs worked to bring elements of black culture to the different performances in order to spread awareness of black heritage.
“Hopefully, students who attended gained a little bit of knowledge,” Brown said.
Junior Ryan Sims has celebrated Kwanzaa a couple of times, and he went to the event Wednesday night to enjoy the community and unity.
“The different elements of Kwanzaa, they all equal unity,” Sims said.
Senior Chris Scott performed with the Urban Theatre Group’s monologue presentation. He said he had never attended the University Kwanzaa event before, but he had fun.
“I was always interested,” he said. “I definitely wanted to check it out before I graduated.”
Scott said Kwanzaa was important to him because of how it brings family together. He said students could benefit from attending events like Kwanzaa just to learn about and celebrate different cultures.
Both white students and Latino students celebrated Kwanzaa as well, Scott said.
“For BG, what I saw here tonight, it really shows the diversity [of the school],” he said.
