On The Vine: Kwanzaa ends with fresh opportunity for unity, community & purpose
The fifth day of Kwanzaa, Nia, recognized on Dec. 30 every year, pretty much defines my nine-to-five at The Kansas City Star.
Nia, one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, means purpose. It asks us to ask the all-powerful question: “Why am I here?”
In the spirit of Kwanzaa, we must ask ourselves about our purpose and how each of us contributes to and engages with the greater community: how am I a part of it?
As the assistant managing editor for race and equity issues at The Star, I find purpose in working to engage with, connect with, and help tell the stories of Kansas City’s historically underrepresented communities, especially people of color. I do this work with the help of other writers, editors, and visual journalists, as a way to define this media organization’s place and the underrepresented communities’ place in the Greater Kansas City community.
Kansas City, for the second year, has hosted a citywide Kwanzaa celebration, including a vendor marketplace, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, free and appropriately at The Gem Theater in the Historic 18th and Vine District.
I love Kwanzaa because it is a holiday of action. Yes, it is surrounded by celebration and feasting, but it is more about people identifying the best in themselves so they can work collectively with others to improve the lives of the community around them.
In case you didn’t know, Kwanzaa is an Afrocentric holiday started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an activist and professor of African American studies at California State University. Its original purpose was to foster pride, unity, advancement, and heritage among African Americans across the country. Karenga, 84, announced his retirement this year.
Kwanzaa means the first fruits of the harvest in the Swahili language. On the holiday, which begins the day after Christmas and ends on Jan. 1, we reflect on the work that has been done as a community and the bounty it produced. This year marks the 59th year of the celebration.
While the celebration is nearly six decades old, it only really started catching on and moving into mainstream Black America and beyond in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The symbol of this holiday, celebrating the African diaspora culture and community, is a seven-candle kinara. Three candlesticks are red, representing Black Americans’ struggle for freedom; three candlesticks are green, representing hope and the future; and in the center is a Black candle representing the people and the earth.
The Black candle is lit first. Each day, another candle is lit, one for each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa – Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).
Sure, Kwanzaa is primarily an African American celebration, but its focus on love, unity, and caring for your fellow citizens is what we all, regardless of cultural background, should strive for. Happy Kwanzaa.
Off The Vine
Below are stories about culture and identity from communities in the Kansas City metro area. Go here to find more stories on culture and identity from Star reporter J.M. Banks.
- Every Monday night at a nightspot in Raytown, one of the oldest open mic events in Kansas City, presents a platform for area performing artists to showcase their work. Find out where the new Soul Sessions stage has relocated, and see inside.
- Ivory Duncan, education consultant works to support neurodiverse students with practical classroom strategies, parent guidance and children’s books that reflect families in Kansas City. She talked with Banks about her life and how her endeavor was inspired by her four-year-old son.
Around The Vine
- Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake, 3901 SW Longview Road, Lee’s Summit, begins Nov. 26 and runs through Dec. 31. This holiday event is for the whole family and touts a colorful drive-through light display using more than 300,000 lights.
- It’s not too late to explore the annual Black Santa exhibit, which runs through Jan. 9, at the Bruce R. Watkins Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, featuring the Wilhelmina L. Stewart collection of more than 40 figurines honoring cultural holiday traditions. The center is accepting Black Santa donations to grow the exhibit for next year.
Vine Picks
- It’s national news that The KC Chiefs will likely move from Missouri to Kansas and it seems that announcement has lit a fire under Kansas Citians to find a space for the Royals downtown. Sports writer Pete Grathoff, has the Union Station case for a downtown ballpark.
- The Kansas City Star’s visual journalists have done a fantastic job of documenting happenings in the KC metro area. See the year in photos through the lens of Star photographers.
- There’s a lot to love about Kansas City and one thing is there are a lot of great restaurants here with a variety of delicious foods on their menus. Writer Jenna Thompson tells us about 30 new eateries we’re looking forward to in 2026.
- Kansas City Star opinion writer David Mastio has an interesting look back at 2025 with Donald Trump surrounded by a host of wacky “lapdogs,” and the presidents’ steady stream of what seem like crazy plans — taking over countries.
Your voice matters to us. What local issues do you want to hear discussed in On The Vine? Let me, Mará Rose Williams, The Star’s assistant managing editor for race and equity, know directly at mdwilliams@kcstar.com. Thank you for reading.
This story was originally published December 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM.
