Kwanzaa Celebrated in Indianapolis with Umoja Village Event

The first day of Kwanzaa kicked off with a vibrant celebration at The AMP at 16 Tech as the Indianapolis Kwanzaa Committee hosted its annual Umoja Village Celebration. The event focused on unity, the first principle of Kwanzaa.

Sibeko Jywanza, a member of the Indianapolis Kwanzaa Committee, emphasized the importance of unity: “The reason why unity is the first principle is because that’s the number one thing you have to do if you want to solve any type of issue or come together and do some type of initiative.”

Jywanza also clarified that Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, and is open to everyone. “This isn’t a religious holiday,” Jywanza said. “This is a cultural holiday, so anyone can participate.”

The Umoja Village Celebration featured vendors, performers, and free family-friendly activities. It was an opportunity for the community to come together, reflect on the past year, and look forward to the future.

Jywanza said: “We’ll be at the AMP at 16 Tech today from 1 until 6. Some of the vendors will be open, but we also have other vendors throughout the city that are going to come and have some crafts, have some clothing, have some games and toys.”

The celebration was an important reminder of the power of unity in the face of recent violence in the city.