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Date: 1/9/2024
HOLYOKE — The City of Holyoke gathered to celebrate Kwanzaa at City Hall on Dec. 28, the third day of the holiday.
Kwanzaa was just observed from its annual week-long celebration from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Participants at the event joined in on the city event with musical performances, poem readings and dancing. Holyoke’s observance of Kwanzaa was led by the Kwanzaa Collective of Western Mass. and other members of the African American community.
President of the Kwanzaa Collective Ayanna Crawford opened the celebration sharing excitement to be able to celebrate the holiday with the Holyoke community. Crawford shared that with it being the third day of Kwanzaa, the principle of that day was Ujima, or collective work and responsibility.
The holiday consists of seven days, with each day dedicated to one of the seven core principles known as the Nguzo Saba. When observing Kwanzaa, the principles are meant to be reflected on each day and carried into the new year.
Mayor Joshua Garcia was in attendance and read a proclamation for the holiday celebration, but before that he spoke about the compassion of the city.
“I like to remind folks that here in the city of Holyoke we are indeed a very compassionate city, and as you all are aware sometimes what follows compassion sometimes brings certain quality of life challenges, and I always try to remind the people that we can’t let those challenges forget who we are as people,” Garcia said. “When you choose to live here in the city of Holyoke, we are committed to build and maintain our community together and make our neighbors problems our problems to solve together. And that is the very meaning of the principle, which is my favorite principle, Ujima, collective work and responsibility.”
Families and communities come together to share a feast, honor ancestors, affirm bonds between them and to celebrate African and African American culture. The holiday serves as a time for reflection, community and reaffirmation of cultural values and principles.
“We are honored to be in this space with you and in this time. We celebrate Kwanzaa to uplift our community,” Crawford said.
Professor of history and Africana Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Dr. Amilcar Shabazz closed the ceremony speaking on the importance and meaning of the holiday.
“Kwanzaa is about coming together. Unity. It’s about self-determination, defining the problems, defining the situation, clarifying, making decisions and creating something for ourselves in response to the crisis we’re in. That’s all fine and good, but that alone is insufficient. It takes that third principle to go into action. Collective work and responsibility,” Shabazz said.