Kwanzaa celebration in Westbury offers singing, dance and a connection to African heritage

As a teacher in a New York City middle school in the early 1990s, Marcia Odle-McNair noticed Black American students tended to have trouble connecting with their heritage during a cultural exchange program.

Odle-McNair, who is now retired and lives in Westbury, soon found out about the African American cultural holiday known as Kwanzaa.

She taught the holiday to students and eventually scores of people from various cultures. And after not being able to find enough literature about the holiday, she wrote a book called, "Kwanzaa Crafts: Gifts & Decorations for A Meaningful & Festive Celebration."

On Sunday, Odle-McNair and other community members gathered at Westbury Arts for an early celebration of the holiday, which begins on the day after Christmas and lasts until  New Year’s Day.

A few dozen audience members who attended the event took in dances, singing and drumming that had roots in Africa.

"It’s [Kwanzaa] a way to reflect on the past, our ancestors. To think about where we are now — our present. And the future, what can we do next year ... to make our voice stronger?" Odle-McNair said.

The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase meaning "first fruit," which is linked to harvest festivals. 

Maulana Ron Karenga started the holiday in 1966, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Kwanzaa has seven principles that are drawn from African collective values. The principals are: Umoja (unity), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity) Imani (faith) and Ujamaa (cooperative economics).

Several speakers on Sunday talked about those principles and after each person finished speaking, they lit a candle. Each evening of the holiday a candle is lit, starting with the black one.

Anayo Michel, who started and owns Layla’s Dance & Drum in Valley Stream, talked about Kuumba or creativity and how dance helped her deal with the loss of her mother at the age of 23.

"And I felt overjoyed," said Michel, reflecting on how dance made her feel. "I felt a connection to my ancestors [and] my heritage." She added: "I literally felt the presence of my mother."

Laura Harding, president of ERASE Racism, a Syosset-based civil rights organization, urged the audience to not lose touch with those who struggle in the community even as they get accolades. Her assigned principle was Ujima, collective work and responsibility.

"We frequently are so concerned with ourselves that we don’t remember that we’re only as good as the least of us," she said.

With AP

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.