Ruth Ndiagne Dorsey is pictured with a Kwanzaa setting at her church in Atlanta.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration created in the 1960s during the civil rights movement that focuses on cultivating and appreciating the lives of African Americans, their past and present.

The secular celebration takes its name from the Swahili saying "mutanda ya kwanza" which means "first harvest."

There are seven principles of Kwanzaa:

-Umoja, or unity

-Kujichagulia, or self determination

-Ujima, or collective work and responsibility

-Ujamaa, or cooperative economics (support of Black businesses and entrepreneurs)

-Nia, or purpose

-Kuumba, or creativity

-Imani, or faith

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Each day of Kwanzaa, observers light a candle that represents each of the principles and is placed in a candleholder called a kinara.

Some Black Americans have lit these flames in celebration of their African heritage for more than 50 years. Nationally, according to an AP/NORC survey, about 3% of Americans now celebrate Kwazaa every year.

A typical Kwanzaa celebration could include dance, but also the wearing of Kente cloth, poetry, discussions about the day's principle and meals featuring African and Southern cuisine.