News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville-Putnam County NAACP will host its first-ever Kwanzaa celebration on New Year’s Day to commemorate the week-long holiday.
The holiday began in the 1960s as a way to celebrate African American culture. President Tom Savage said a key part of the holiday is honoring the seven principles of Kwanzaa, which include unity and self-determination.
“This is for everybody; Christians, agnostics, atheists, or anybody,” Savage said. “This holiday has very, very good meaning. And it’s an American holiday.”
Savage said anyone is welcome to come and enjoy the music, food, and games that will be featured at the event. Savage said the celebration takes place on the final day of the holiday and will serve as a good way to promote unity in the local community.
“It goes along with Hanukkah and the other Christian holidays,” Savage said. “So it’s kind of like ending the year with a big three, starting off with Hanukkah, Christmas, then Kwanzaa.”
Savage said he thinks it is good that the African American community participates in something that promotes positive values in the household.
“We all have friends and neighbors who don’t look like us,” Savage said. “But if you go by these seven principles I think that they would say, ‘Man, that’s pretty cool.’ And I think that it does bring unity in our community.”
Savage said the holiday was started in 1966 by Professor Maulana Karenga in California. Savage said Monday’s event will take place from 10am to 3pm at the recreation center of the Gables Apartments in Cookeville.
