Kwanzaa House in Toledo hosts week-long celebration

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Dec. 26 is the first day of Kwanzaa; a celebration of African-American culture. To celebrate, the Kwanzaa House in Toledo is hosting a week-long event.

The first principle is unity the goal to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

“The celebration of a culture, the Black culture, and our ancestors. Just remembering our past and where we’ve come and where we’re going and looking towards the future, while also celebrating our past,” Rashid Spencer, the Kwanzaa House coordinator said.

That is what Kwanzaa is all about. Manifesting positive qualities to live by throughout the year.

“We will be better people and will be able to serve our communities better when we know that we got to love each other,” Dianne Stubblefield-Moore, co-coordinator of the Kwanzaa celebration said. “If you have true love and understanding that we are brothers and sisters. We’re talking we’re all one person. That’s what unity means.”

Unity is only one of the values. Following unity is self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

“I think that one of the things that’s important is values. Values is called the invisible institution and values is something that aren’t always lifted up in everyday life. We lift up our politicians, our entertainers, our athletes. However, when it talks about rightly guided principles that will help us sustain life, will help us resolve a lot of our conflicts, and for healthy community self-esteem,” Brother Washington Muhammad, a Kwanzaa committee member said.

Organizers say they hope people who attend this event will exercise those principles at home and really understand the true meaning behind each of them.

“It’s important to remember this because you have to remember where you came from, that’s number one. If you go ahead and never look back, you won’t remember your roots and this is a part of remembering your roots. Remembering our ancestors, remembering who came before us and paved the way for us to even have this celebration,” Spencer said.

The Kwanzaa celebration will be every night until Jan. 1. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the celebration begins at 6 p.m. at Frederick Douglass Center.

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