BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Now hanging in Niagara Square: a flag representing the start of Kwanzaa.
“We are very proud to stand in unity,” arts and culture co-chair Jomo Akono said.
Sunday is the first day of the Kwanzaa celebration nationwide.
In Buffalo, each night of the holiday there will be a celebration from 7 PM to 9 PM.
Kwanzaa was first created in 1966 in California, to bring African American communities together. Buffalo organizers say it’s about making the world a better place while celebrating each other.
“Celebrate the harvest and the victories of what we have achieved the past year,” Akono said.
“Buffalo’s Kwanzaa celebration is one of the longest, not only in the nation, but one of the longest in the world,” Mayor Byron Brown said.
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration that lasts seven days. Each day represents a different principle, the first being unity. And each year an overarching theme to abide by is chosen
“And this year’s theme is Sankofa,” Kwanzaa co-chair Aymanuel Radford said. “Intentional seed, intentional harvest.”
Organizers say this year’s theme is about being mindful.
“We have to implant the seeds of love, the seeds of peace, liberty, freedom, abundance, and most importantly of god,” Kwanzaa co-chair Carlanda Meadors said. “Be intentional in all you do and make sure you are teaching those who come after you.”
