Boulder City Council · Document
Kwanzaa Declaration
Special Meeting, Downtown Commercial District Meeting, and Knollwood Metropolitan District Meeting, January 8, 2026 · item DeclarationsA: Kwanzaa Declaration · 1 page
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Kwanzaa December 26, 2025 – January 1, 2026
Kwanzaa week is a celebration rooted in harvest festivals that take place throughout the African continent. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which translates to “first fruits of the harvest” in English. The holiday is a celebration of family, community, history, and culture featuring the lighting of seven candles on a kinara, or candleholder. Three candles are red and represent the global struggles of African peoples and the African diaspora, a black candle in the middle symbolizes people of African descent, and three green candles represent hope for the future. Each candle represents one of these seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity, and faith. This week encourages people to reflect on the seven principles, how they serve as a guidepost for daily living, and the role they played in the lives of African ancestors as they endured slavery, racism, and persecution. These historical injustices have left lasting impacts and continue to drive current day disparities. Learning about, acting on, and dismantling these systems of oppression is critically important as we work as a community to advance racial equity. Kwanzaa gives us the opportunity to honor and celebrate PanAfrican and African American resilience, culture, and community. We, the City Council of the City of Boulder, Colorado declare December 26, 2025, to January 1, 2026, as
Kwanzaa
_____________________________ Aaron Brockett, Mayor