Kansas
Kwanzaa observed at Kansas Statehouse during annual ceremony
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – A Topeka church once again helmed the governor’s annual Kwanzaa ceremony at the Kansas Statehouse.
St. Marks AME guided the ceremony, lighting seven candles that represent Kwanzaa’s core values: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Responsibility, Cooperation, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
“The message was centered around unity, as a reminder that we have to stand together,” Speaker Karla Cooper said. “The only way we can stand together is to get to know someone that is different from us. To dismantle some of the xenophobia that seems to be rampant. That’s the only thing that keeps us divided, is our fear of differences. The way to dismantle that fear is to meet it head on by speaking with people who are different.”
Kwanzaa runs from the day after Christmas to the first day of the new year. The holiday was formed in 166 to honor African heritage and African-American culture.
The Kansas Statehouse has hosted an observance ceremony every year since 2019.
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