A variety of people of all races from Iowa State and the Ames community showed up to watch the second annual Kwanzaa celebration at Fisher Theater Saturday.

According to literature distributed at the celebration, Kwanzaa is a unique African-American celebration that focuses on the traditional values of family, community responsibility, commerce and self-improvement.

“It is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, it is not a substitute or Christmas,” the literature states. “It is simply a time of reaffirming the African-American people, their ancestors and culture.”

Kwanzaa means “First Fruits,” said Kwanzaa Elder Mariama Hodari, and it is adapted from African harvest festivals.

Although the traditional Kwanzaa dates are Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, it was celebrated early by the Ames community because most students will leave Ames before Dec. 26.

Hodari began the celebration with the traditional greeting of “Habarigani,” which means, “What’s the news?” she said.

After welcoming everyone, Hodari asked the audience and the performers on stage to yell out names of people who had helped them, their families or the community.

“The Pouring of the Libation recognizes the spiritual, physical and economic assistance that gets us here today,” she said.

People yelled out names from Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. to Jack Trice and Oprah Winfrey to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). After each name was called, Hodari poured water from a jug into a basket and said “Libations,” and the audience echoed the phrase.

After the Pouring of the Libations, there were performances for each of the Nguzo Saba, or seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa, from the seventh to the first: Imani (faith), Kuumba (creativity), Nia (purpose), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Kujichagulia (self-determination) and Umoja (unity).

One of the Children of Kwanzaa, a group of local youth, introduced each principle, and then a performance group sang or danced a piece related to the principle.

For Imani (faith), Des Moines vocal group Total Praise Chorale — which is working on a soon-to-be-released CD — sang spirituals written by its director, James McNear Jr.

The ISU Minority Theatre Workshop marched around the stage and took turns saying an event in Iowa’s history, good or bad, and then “And they kept coming,” for the principle Kuumba (creativity).

After the seven presentations of the Nguzo Saba, Hodari invited drummers and dancers from the audience to join the performers on-stage.

“At the end of every Kwanzaa celebration, there is a gathering of everyone who participates from the community,” Hodari said.

Sidi Tandia, program coordinator for international education services, was an audience member who got up and danced. He said he thoroughly enjoyed the Kwanzaa celebration.

“I think it’s put together very well, and they involve the community very well,” Tandia said. “It’s always nice, when you go through the struggle of life, at the end of the year to get together and celebrate.”

Tandia’s 9-year old daughter, Hawa, a fourth-grader at Northwood Elementary School, was one of the Children of Kwanzaa. She said her favorite parts of the ceremony were “getting to learn about Kwanzaa and its traditions and listening to the music.”

Kamilla Collier-Mullin, sophomore in psychology, said she thought the celebration was “very well-organized and very high-spirited and very accurate of our African-American culture.”

“The timing of it is very nice, at the end of the semester, by finals, to be able to come together with our peers when you live in a community that’s 25,000 white people,” she said.

Shirley Basfield Dunlap, co-production director for the Kwanzaa Celebration and assistant professor of music, said she was pleased when everyone came together on-stage at the end.

“What I liked best about this was the fact that this African-American celebration can bring people of all cultures together to celebrate,” said Dunlap, director of the Minority Theater Workshop and assistant professor of music.

Jim Trenberth, light designer and production manager for ISU Theatre and assistant professor of music, also said he had a lot of fun working on the Kwanzaa Celebration. “It’s a wonderful thing for a white boy like me to come here and be a part of this,” he said.