Community members are celebrating the fourth day of Kwanzaa with a Young Entrepreneur's Market.
The market celebrates "Ujamaa" which is Swahili for cooperative economics. The day is meant to encourage the sharing of resources and the promotion of economic endeavors within the African American community.
Ras Jomo, one of the cultural curators for Buffalo's Kwanzaa celebration is hoping to encourage young people to have a stake in their community by encouraging them to start businesses. Jomo says this is especially important as the community prepares for the coming new year.
"It's for us to come together and culturally look at the year and find out what collective gains we have," Jomo told 2 On Your Side.
Jomo is adding a special project for children who come to the Young Entrepreneurs Market. He's encouraging the children who attend to start recording family and cultural events as a way to preserve their community history. Part of keeping that history relevant includes showing the children who come to the market how to do crafts like weaving and perform arts like dancing.
"We're trying to keep culture relevant and not just a relic of the past."
The fourth day of Kwanzaa celebrations will feature face-painting, oral history performers, and financial workshops for everyone who attends.
The Children's Kwanzaa Celebration which includes the Youth Entrepreneurs Market will go on today from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at East Community High School; 820 Northampton Street, Buffalo, NY 14211.
A full list of events taking place during the week of Kwanzaa can be found here.