'It affirms my African roots': Kwanzaa celebrations begin in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Kwanzaa is officially underway, and Milwaukee's Black community is celebrating its heritage and the holiday's core principles.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 to celebrate African Americans.

"They feel the enrichment, they understand, it makes them feel proud of being an African person," Clayborn Benson said.

Benson, founder and executive director of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, tells CBS 58 he has celebrated Kwanzaa since its early days.

"It roots me, it gives me a purpose, it gives me an understanding of what I'm supposed to be doing, looking at those seven principles," he said.

He is so passionate about the holiday that since founding the Wisconsin Black Historical Society 36 years ago, they have observed it.

"We've practiced Kwanzaa every one of those years, starting from a small group to crowds that extend beyond city violations," Clayborn said, laughing.

Through music and dance, the Black community in Milwaukee comes together to kick off Kwanzaa every year at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. It is not a religious, but rather a cultural holiday, focused on being the best version of yourself while honoring your ancestry.

"It helps me to set goals and to strive to accomplish those goals," Benson said. "Probably the most important thing, it affirms my African roots."

For seven days, starting on Dec. 26, the seven principles of Kwanzaa - unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith - are highlighted. Every day focuses on a different principle, with a candle lit on the Kinara to honor each one.

For Benson, the teachings of Kwanzaa extend beyond the holiday.

"I adopt those principles in the fiber of my everyday life and use those principles as I strive to accomplish things that I think are important to me," he said.

For more information on the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, visit wbhsm.org.