Mount Vernon held its annual Kwanzaa celebration at Dole Center Thursday evening.

Community members gathered to celebrate the first night of the holiday.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 as a non-religious way for African Americans to reconnect with ancestral roots.

It's celebrated every year from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. Each day is dedicated to one of seven principles, the first being unity.

The event was hosted by the city's recreation department.