Faith. George Michael crooned about it; black people in America somehow maintain it—even if it’s the size of a mustard seed—time and time again.

This year, for each day of Kwanzaa, The Root is highlighting one person from the community who exemplifies the principle of the day.

If you’re reading this, it’s too late.

This year, for each day of Kwanzaa, The Root is highlighting one person from the community who exemplifies the principle of the day.

We’ve been celebrating Kwanzaa Week here at The Root, which, for The Glow Up, also meant thinking up new outfits to wear for each night of the festivities celebrating the seven principles of what many lovingly call “Black Hanukkah.”

This year, for each day of Kwanzaa, The Root is highlighting one person from the community who exemplifies the principle of the day.

Each year, there are new essays or snide conversations about how black people don’t celebrate Kwanzaa. But I’m here to tell you that some of us do. Some of us have been doing it for decades. Yeah, I’m that unicorn.

... On the fifth day of Kwanzaa, P-Nut gave to meeeee: Fiiive keeeente clooooths! Four calling cards, three French braids, 20-inch dubs and an African print dashikiiii!

This year, for each day of Kwanzaa, The Root is highlighting one person from the community who exemplifies the principle of the day.

This year, for each day of Kwanzaa, The Root is highlighting one person from the community who exemplifies the principle of the day.

When The Root video producer P.J. Rickards and I stepped onto the streets of Harlem (full disclosure: my beloved hood), we were both surprised at the dearth of information about Kwanzaa, the African-American cultural holiday started more than 50 years ago.

Many people have wondered why Kwanzaa is not a bigger holiday or why it is overshadowed by Christmas every year (and when we say “many people,” like our esteemed president, we mean four ... maybe five, tops). In response, we decided to celebrate Kwanzaa Week by pouring our considerable resources, time and money into…

This year, The Root is making the blackest holiday of them all great again!

Yes, we’re serious. When I was asked (or, um, “volunteered”) to edit our Kwanzaa Week series, I was hype!

Sure. This will be one of our shortest explainers ever.