For that reason, black Americans need a cultural holiday of their own, some church leaders say. There's a synergy among African Americans that crosses the religious spectrum. Gifts are exchanged, but the emphasis is on heritage. The holiday's appeal has moved beyond the African American community, said Willia Edmonds, president of the African Cultural Arts Council in Orange County. She's even had requests for presentations from elderly Jews at Leisure World in Seal Beach.
Some religious leaders arc less willing to be inclusive.
But vehicles like Kwanzaa, a liberating black church or a progressive family remind young people that they may be in a country where they're a minority, but in the bigger world, they're a majority.