MID-HUDSON – The annual celebration of Kwanzaa, celebrated from December 26 to January 1 begins today. Kwanzaa is modeled after African harvest festivals that take place in parts of Africa. It was first celebrated in 1966 by activist Dr. Maulana Karenga. In America, estimates range between 500,000 and one million people who celebrate the tradition.
“Indeed, we live in turbulent times of continuing unfreedom and oppression, the enduring evil of injustice and destructive conflicts, and unjust and genocidal war,” Karenga said in his annual Kwanzaa address. He also used the address as a call to action, more than words. “We are morally called, commanded and compelled to bear witness to truth and set the scales of justice in their proper place, especially among the voiceless and devalued, the downtrodden and defenseless, the oppressed, and the different and vulnerable. And we must do this not only through speech, but also in the way we live our lives, do our work and wage our struggles for shared good in the world.”
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