We lit our candles each day on the kinara, and revisited each of the seven principles, intended to instill values that could keep our people unified and in touch with our African roots. My mom, Imani,

The annual celebration of African-American culture honors 7 principles, one for each day, teaching lessons for families to live by. The first one is Umoja, which represents unity. Kwanzaa runs through January 1.

Every year on December 26, the annual commemoration of African-American culture that is Kwanzaa begins. Observed predominantly in the US and across nations of the African diaspora in the Americas, people celebrating Kwanzaa honour their African ancestry by exchanging presents and enjoying a large feast with loved ones.