Canadian Kwanzaa Association celebrates the first Kwanzaa week in Canada at  Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto

BY: SHAUNA-KAY CASSELL

On January 1^st, 2019, the Canadian Kwanzaa Association (CKA) celebrated Kwanzaa, the Pan-African holiday, at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto for the first time; making it the first Canadian proclamation for Kwanzaa week in Canada’s history. The Toronto 3D Sign lit up in red, black and green, representing the lighting of the seven candles during the seven-day ceremony held from December 26th to January 1st.

This year marks the 52nd Anniversary of Kwanzaa since it was first established as a holiday in 1966, by Dr. Maulana Karenda in Oakland, California. Kwanzaa is rooted in the African culture, and derived from a Swahili phrase meaning, “first fruits of the harvest.” The observance was meant to help the African diaspora in the Americas or (pan Africans) reconnect to their African Culture. The holiday is now celebrated by pan Africans around the world to commemorate family, community, and culture. “Celebrating Kwanzaa in Canada is a means of expressing our emancipation and is a continuation of the efforts of our elders and ancestors who fought for our equality and inclusion in this country,” says Dewitt Lee III, Founder of the Canadian Kwanzaa Association. “As African Canadians, it is important to begin building our own cultural customs and traditions and Kwanzaa gives a foundation to begin that journey…” emphasized Lee.

Kwanzaa recognizes seven principles or Nguzo Saba in Swahili. They are Unity (Umoja), Self-Determination (Kujichagulia), Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima), Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa), Purpose (Nia), Creativity (Kuumba), and Faith (Imani). Each day of the ceremony, one of the principles are introduced or reinforced and is represented by the lighting of one of the seven candles, placed on a Kinara or candlehold er. The seven candles are divided into patterns of; three red, one black and three green, respectively. As such, the 3D Toronto sign displayed the same colour patterns and glowed brightly in representation of a fully lit Kinara, which takes place in millions of households all over the world who are simultaneously celebrating Kwanzaa.   

The Canadian Kwanzaa Association was established in 2018 to oversee the implementation of Kwanzaa in Canada. The Association accomplished two historical milestones; that is, Brampton’s mayor Patrick Brown placed a Kwanzaa message on the digital board at Brampton’s Rose Square, and the City of Toronto dedicated December 26^th to January 1^st as Kwanzaa week. “This year marked great strides for us,” maintained the founder.

The closing ceremony held between 5:00pm and 5:45pm at the Peace Garden at Nathan Phillips Square brought together leaders from the community including; Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall, Dean, Faculty of Design at OCAD University, Norman Di Pasquale, Toronto Catholic School board Trustee, Peter Lopez of the Black Voter Base, and Playwright and Performer, Amani. The leaders’ messages were full of commitment, encouragement, and support of the association’s accomplishments and future goals. These community leaders and key stakeholders will work together with the association to develop and expand Kwanzaa in other regions of Canada.

The next steps for the Canadian Kwanzaa Association are to build on their accomplishments. “We expect this to be an annual tradition not just in Toronto and Brampton, but municipalities across Canada,” says Lee III.  “Our plan is to add Kwanzaa to the school curriculum and build chapters across Canada that would be tasked with establishing Kwanzaa Week in their community,” maintains Lee III. Consequently, Kwanzaa Week proclamations will be celebrated all across Canada in some years to come. For now, the Canadian Kwanzaa Association is proud to celebrate 52 years, and did so luminously, both in Toronto and Brampton.