On December 17, Hudson Hall on Warren Street was the site for the annual Operation Unite Kwanzaa Umoja Community Celebration. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the community turned out for the traditional lighting of the kinara, recitation of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, and the tribute to the ancestors and finally the Karamu feast. The first night of Kwanzaa is called Umoja, or unity, and begins on December 26. It celebrates the values of unity in the family, community, nation and race. Noted also on Saturday evening was the 30th anniversary of Operation Unite in Hudson, whose mission is to mentor youth from an early age to promote self-esteem and social consciousness. Featured (and pictured) on the program was dancing and drumming by the Kuumba Dancers and Drummers of Hudson and the Gballoi West African Drum and Dance Company based in Schenectady. Photo by David Lee
