By Paul Tuthill
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-998287.mp3
Springfield, MA – Kwanzaa, a seven day celebration of African American family, culture and community is underway. There was an official kick-off today in the city of Springfield Massachusetts, as we hear from WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill.
During a celebration at Springfield City Hall people were urged to embrace the seven principles of Kwanzaa throughout the year.
Children lit seven candles on a table where other traditional symbols of Kwanzaa including a unity cup, a flag and a basket of fruit were displayed. Speakers focused on the seven principles which are unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Robert Jones, a businessman , urged adults to become mentors to the youth in Springfield, where fifty percent of the families are headed by a single parent.
Donald Mitchell, who heads the western Massachusetts Development Collaborative urged the youth at the Kwanzaa celebration to follow the principles of collective work and cooperative economics.
Kwanzaa was created in the 1960s by California professor Maulana Karenga to promote black pride. Although it is still observed primarily by African Americans, Kwanzaa has become more inclusive in recent years, according to Kwanzaa historian Ayanna Crawford.
Crawford, said her family has celebrated Kwanzaa for over 35 years.
Springfield has had community based Kwanzaa celebrations since the 1980s. The city's official observance is run by the Black History Collective and the Black Leadership Alliance