Kwanzaa, founded in 1966, was meant to be the bedrock of a new cultural nationalism for Black people disillusioned by the post-Civil Rights Movement world. Rooted in borrowing from various African traditions, the holiday unfolds across seven nights, each dedicated to one of seven principles. Although my family celebrated Kwanzaa when I was younger, I didn't find much inspiration in it and felt different from my friends who celebrated Christmas. However, as I got older, I began to appreciate Kwanzaa's value in celebrating what a people hoped to become and creating the future they wanted in the world.