OGDEN, Utah — For more than 20 years, the Community Kwanzaa Celebration in Ogden has brought Utahns together to celebrate African American culture, family and community.
“Kwanzaa is an Afrocentric celebration,” said Betty Sawyer, the executive director of Project Success Coalition. “It's not a religious celebration or spiritual celebration. It's a cultural celebration.”
The holiday is not a religious or spiritual one; it was started by an African studies professor in the 1960s as an opportunity to honor and celebrate history and bring families and communities together, according to Sawyer.
“We're hoping that as we share about the holiday, more families will just start, like I did, because I didn't know about it,” she said. “I didn't grow up doing Kwanzaa as a child. But once I became a mother, that was something that we did with our families.”
Tuesday night, people of all ages learned songs, made crafts, shared food and learned the true meaning of the holiday.
“Being involved with the community, family and friends and looking at a different perspective, other than buying a whole lot of Christmas gifts,” said Charlotte Starks, known as ‘Mama Charlotte.’
Saywer says Kwanzaa takes on a different meaning in Utah this year.
“People are trying to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion. and so for me, Kwanzaa is an opportunity for us to come together and recognize the benefits of that,” she said.
