The sixth annual Kwanzaa celebration will be tomorrow night from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. The event will be held in the Lenhart Grand Ballroom.

Bettina Shuford, the director of the Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives, said she is sure, like years past, the Kwanzaa celebration will be a great community builder.

“We usually get a very diverse audience and everyone seems to enjoy themselves,” Shuford said.

The event is $5 for students and children and $8 for general admission. All tickets are bursarable.

Sheila Brown, the assistant director of the Center of Multicultural and Academic Initiatives, is the Kwanzaa celebration coordinator.

She said this year, for the first time, African-American men from the campus will be honored.

“The African-American men on this campus are very much appreciated,” Brown said. “They represent something that is stressed in many black families and is truly needed in the black community — education.”

Brown said that the men will be honored by a song sang by the BGSU African Queens Vocal Ensemble and Heather Crosby, a University student, will recite original poetry.

Kwanzaa is an African American celebration that focuses on traditional African values. These values include family, community, responsibility, commerce and self-determination. Shuford said that the University’s Kwanzaa celebration is both entertaining and educational.

“Many students are not aware of Kwanzaa, so the celebration is a good venue for increasing awareness about African-American culture,” Shuford said.

The celebration time of Kwanzaa is also a time of reaffirming African culture and people, according to www.tike.com/celeb-kw. “Kwanzaa is the only nationally-recognized African American non-heroic, non-religious community celebration, that emphasizes the traditional spirit of African communalism,” Brown said.

The literal meaning of Kwanzaa is “first fruits of the harvest.”

“Kwanzaa is not a Black Christmas or substitute,” Brown said. Maulana Ron Karenga is the founder of Kwanzaa. The holiday was first celebrated Dec. 26, 1966.

Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26 until Jan 1., focusing on the seven principles, according to MelaNet Kwanzaa Information Center. The principles are:

* Umoja: Unity

* Kujichagulia: Self-determination

* Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility

* Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics

* Nia: Purpose

* Kuumba: Creativity

* Imani: Faith

One of the symbols of Kwanzaa is the Kinara, which holds seven candles. The candles each represent one of the principles. Kwanzaa is observed by more than 18 million people worldwide, as reported by The New York Times, according to information on the Web site www.tike.com/celeb-kw.

“For those students who have not traditionally celebrated the holiday, it is hoped that this event will inspire them to begin a new tradition with their families and friends,” Shuford said.