The candle lit on the first day of Kwanzaa symbolizes unity, as did the crowd that gathered for the third annual Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara lighting ceremony in downtown Detroit. Unity, or "umoja" in Swahili, is the most important of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, said Jamon Jordan, the City of Detroit's historian.

In the heart of the community, the annual Kwanzaa celebration brought together neighbors, families, and creatives to honor African heritage and culture.

Each year, millions of people around the U.S. ring in the new year with Kwanzaa, the annual celebration of the African American family, community