Hempstead Village Celebrates First Day Of Kwanzaa
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The Long Island village of Hempstead kicked off the week-long Kwanzaa holiday Thursday with a community celebration.
The first day of Kwanzaa is umoja, which means unity.
Thursday's celebration included dance and musical performances from local school children.
People also dressed in traditional robes to celebrate their African heritage and African-American culture.
"With Kwanzaa we know that it's taken from Swahili which we celebrate the first fruit, the harvest, and so we're excited today that we have a village, residents that are full of love festivity," said Hempstead Village Trustee Waylyn Hobbs, Jr.
Kwanzaa highlights the importance of family and community, focusing on seven guiding principles.
Hempstead has the largest African-American population on Long Island.