The Boston Public Library hosted two events on Thursday to kick off Kwanzaa.
At the BPL’s Parker Hill and Roxbury branches, dozens of Boston residents gathered to hear live music, watch performances, and learn about the celebration of the African diaspora and Black culture.
Each day of the weeklong observance is dedicated to one of Kwanzaa’s seven principles: unity, self determination, responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.
As a singer and songwriter, Lovely Hoffman said the principle of faith, or imani in the Swahili language, has a special significance to her. Hoffman started celebrating Kwanzaa 15 years ago and is the co-chair of the Boston Kwanzaa Community Association. To her, the holiday is about connecting the diaspora to their heritage.
“For us to be able to accomplish the things we need to do independently and as a community, we have to be able to connect to our roots,” Hoffman said. “We have to connect to our past, because these principles are a blueprint for what we need to do as Black people.”
Hoffman was one of several performers during the kickoff event at the Roxbury BPL branch. The occasion included a youth runway show inspired by traditional fashion, audience engagement as the crowd called out name of leaders that represented the ideals of Kwanzaa, and food from the African restaurant SamosaMan.
Akili Jamal Haynes, who also goes by his stage name Chibuzo Dunun, performed live music at the Parker Hill BPL branch. Haynes said that the first of Kwanzaa’s seven principles — umoja, or unity — resonates most with him.
“When anybody can get together with community, learn a little bit more about the community themselves, about how we can unite, I think that’s a great thing,” Haynes said.
The Kwanzaa holiday will continue until Jan. 1, with the BPL hosting several events until then.
