The Wisconsin Black Historical Society celebrates the start of Kwanzaa in Milwaukee

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Black Historical Society kicked off the seven days of Kwanzaa Thursday night, Dec. 26, with drummers, dancers and smiles.

The night began with encouragement to learn the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The first one is unity.

"Each of those principles are a way of life, how do you live your life?" said Clayborn Benson, executive director, Wisconsin Black Historical Society.

For more than 60 years, Kwanzaa has been recognized as a way to reconnect.

"Reaffirming of your African roots. To have a clear understanding of who you are. I'm an African brother or sister living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I am in the process of living my life," said Benson.

Dancing was such a crowd pleaser, more than one group put on a show.

"We are all members of the Nation of Islam, and this is the junior MGT Drill Team," said Brittany Muhammad, dancer.

For Chloe Smith, who's selling hand-crafted candles and bracelets, all of this is important. She's already teaching her 7-year-old son the Kwanzaa principles.

"Like today is umoja and unity and we're gonna work together we understand that we are a people that collectively we work better together," said Chloe Smith, designer.

"I was told that once you turn 14, you really responsible for age group younger than yourself. A lot of times people like 'I ain't no elder, I ain't no elder,' well somebody's looking at you, and so let's make sure we doing what's necessary for those groups that come behind us," a man at the podium told the audience.

Unlike Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa is a celebration of culture, not faith.

"And so, one can be a Kwanzaa person and celebrate Christmas or whatever it is that they choose to celebrate. We're having people revise and see who they are and what they need to do to make necessary changes in their lives so they can be better people," said Benson.

Next up in Kwanzaa is the principle of self-determination.