ASHEVILLE, N.C. — People across the country are celebrating Kwanzaa, a cultural celebration that honors African American heritage, community, and values.
Xylophone music and the sound of drums filled the the Young Men’s Institute Cultural Center as organizers set up for their annual Kwanzaa celebration.
COMMUNITIES GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF KWANZAA
“We are celebrating Kwanzaa as a part of our offerings to create cultural continuity around Black culture in this part of the US,” said Sean Palmer, the executive director of YMI Cultural Center.
The annual event not only featured music but also storytelling and the lighting of candles by artists and community leaders.
DEC. 28, 2025 – The annual event not only featured music but also storytelling and the lighting of candles by artists and community leaders. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Renee White, the president of the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association, which is a community advocacy group representing an Asheville historic Black neighborhood that was ripped apart by urban renewal in the 1970s, attended the event.
The historic neighborhood is home to the YMI Cultural Center.
“Everything here was Black-owned and operated, and so YMI is a historical foundation of where it all started for this particular neighborhood, yes. So it’s historical that we’re celebrating Kwanzaa here,” White said.
DEC. 28, 2025 – “We are celebrating Kwanzaa as a part of our offerings to create cultural continuity around Black culture in this part of the US,” said Sean Palmer, the executive director of the Young Men’s Institute (YMI) Cultural Center. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
The YMI Cultural Center has a history of its own.
According to the center’s website, the YMI stood as a beacon during Jim Crow laws, providing help for Black-owned businesses and networks.
“The YMI is the oldest Black cultural center in American, and Asheville has something to be proud of when we say that, because this building has been celebrating culture before Kwanzaa was even thought of,” Palmer said.
DEC. 28, 2025 – The annual event not only featured music but also storytelling and the lighting of candles by artists and community leaders. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
Ana Boza was invited by a friend to the Kwanzaa event. She says this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a different holiday.
“In this wonderful town of Asheville, we welcome this with open arms, and I’m eager to participate in the Kwanzaa festivities tonight here at this beautiful cultural center,” Boza said.
YMI CENTER HOSTS WEEK-LONG KWANZAA FESTIVITIES, CELEBRATING UNITY AND COMMUNITY
Jhaniqua Palmer, Sean Palmer’s wife, attended the event to support her husband, who organized it. She says Kwanzaa has always been very important to her family.
“It’s a collective celebration of Black culture. It’s a celebration of the gifts and talents that we have, how we come together, our fashion, our love for community, our love for culture, our love for each other,” Jhaniqua said.
