2nd Annual Lighting of the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara set for December 26, with Program starting at Cadillac Square at 3 and Kinara Lighting in Campus Martius at 5 p.m.

•  Kwanzaa, which is celebrated December 26 to January 1, honors the communities, culture and heritage of African Americans. Everyone is welcome to embrace Kwanzaa’s principles.
• The Kinara’s candles are designed to light each day until the full Kinara is lit, representing the acknowledgement and activation of all principles for the coming year.
• The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara will live in the SW Garden of Campus Martius and will return for years to come.
• 2024 SPONSORS - The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara is supported in part by The Detroit Pistons, McDonald’s, The Michigan Arts & Culture Council, The Knight Foundation and The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Detroit has always celebrated Kwanzaa. Its principles bind us together on multiple levels and set the tone for the coming year. A full program showcasing the world’s largest Kwanzaa Kinara will echo the principles of Kwanzaa and celebrate the lighting of Day 1 of this 7-Day holiday.

The program begins in Cadillac Square in a heated tent where all are welcome to come and celebrate the beginning of Kwanzaa’s seven-day holiday with African drummers, dancers and a special tribute, this year, to the late Queen Mother Reverend JoAnn Watson where her friends, colleagues and peers will pay homage by aligning her work to each principle of the Nguzo Saba (the seven principles of Kwanzaa).

Two years ago, Councilman Scott Benson reached out to Detroit leaders to discuss what it would take to build a structure to honor the 7-Day Kwanzaa Celebration in Detroit. After many weeks of meeting and planning, construction of The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara was completed as the world’s tallest kinara of its kind – reaching a formidable 30+ feet in height. “I am proud to once again be a part of this special event to honor Kwanzaa,” said Detroit City Councilman Scott Benson, who represents District 3. “The kinara is a special community and cultural symbol that represents the seven principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. These principles are shown every day by Detroiters of every walk of life, so it is appropriate that we have the kinara set up in the center of downtown for all to witness and enjoy.” 

Campus Martius and the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara

The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara will live (seasonally) in the Southwest Garden of Campus Martius. It will return each year as a one of Detroit’s monuments for celebrating Black culture and community alongside the park’s holiday landscape. "Downtown Detroit has become Michigan's community gathering place during the holiday season for people of all faiths, cultures and traditions. We are proud to again have the world's largest Kinara right here in Detroit to represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa practiced by millions of people of African descent during this weeklong celebration, said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan."

Adding the Kinara to Downtown's celebration of the holidays is an opportunity for more personal connections to what makes the holiday season so meaningful. “The holidays are a joyful reminder that being together brings us closer as a community," said Eric B. Larson, Downtown Detroit Partnership’s CEO. Everyone is welcome to stop by between December 26 to January 1 at dusk to witness the illumination of each candle, representing a Kwanzaa principle.

Detroit is a city that embraces its rich diversity. Displaying this 30+ foot tall Kinara at Campus Martius is a perfect way to demonstrate our city's pride and the seven principles of Kwanzaa. “With support from the City of Detroit’s Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity department (CRIO), the lighting of the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara represents a resurgence of pride in our culture while embracing everyone with its powerful principles of peace and unity, said Anthony Zander, Director of CRIO. “We look forward to the lightings each night during Kwanzaa – and the return of the Kinara in the years to come." 

We built this! Engineering & Architecture

The kinara breaks down into 23 pieces for ease of assembly and storage. “The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara is an embodiment of the principles of Kwanzaa – the unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, commitment to purpose and creativity it took to organize this effort has been a display of extraordinary faith.” Gregory McKenzie, Project Manager.

About the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara

Designed to be festive and durable, the Kinara boasts a fine black granite base topped with a hardwood candle holders displaying the word "KWANZAA" hand-carved in wood along with other cultural symbols. Seven red, black and green candles fashioned from utility poles are topped with light fixtures made to resemble glowing flames. Each candle will be illuminated on its appropriate day.

"The design and construction of the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara is an endeavor that represents a spirit of collaboration that is not foreign to us – as this spirit was passed down to us from our ancestors. Everything we need to dream, design, construct and maintain the kinara is already present in our community – after all, we built the pyramids, so why not a Kinara, said Marvis Cofield, CEO and Founder of Alkebu-lan Village.

The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara was constructed by a team Black architects, engineers, carpenters and contractors from the Detroit community, such as Develop Architecture and JMS Engineering Services, both of which are Detroit-based firms. Engineers and electricians developed a design that features a durable framed wall structure counterweighted by two tons of metal plates to ensure the sculpture can withstand the high Detroit River and skyscraper-induced wind loads at Campus Martius.

About the Kwanzaa Holiday

Kwanzaa is a celebration held from December 26 through January 1 to honor Black culture and heritage. Maulana Karenga established the holiday in 1966, who hoped to reconnect family, history, community and heritage through seven principles, which include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. A feast is shared on the final day of Kwanzaa, and gifts are exchanged at this time. During the 7-Day Kwanzaa holiday, each day has significance and is partnered with a dedicated principle known as the Nguzo Saba:

Supporting the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara

Those interested in making tax-free or recurring donations to help manage the upkeep this first of its kind, Kwanzaa Kinara may do so here: Donate – Alkebu-Lan Village (alkebulanvillage.com) or request a sponsorship package via email [email protected].

Visit www.alkebulanvillage.com/kinara for information about the Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara. For more details about this project and upcoming events, contact Gregory McKenzie at (313) 578-1300 or email at [email protected].

About Campus Martius in Detroit

Campus Martius is the point of origin for the city’s coordinate system, and it is one of Detroit’s symbols of vitality. Year-round festivities draw hundreds of thousands of Detroiters and visitors to this special place in the city’s center.