The Kwanzaa kinara downtown at Campus Martius, pictured mid-construction on Friday. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
The Motor City Kwanzaa Kinara is being installed downtown for the third year, with a lighting ceremony planned Thursday, Day 1 of Kwanzaa.
The big picture: Detroit's kinara in Campus Martius is the largest on earth, in one of America's largest majority-Black cities, according to officials who gathered Friday to celebrate the structure's installation.
The week-long celebration of African American culture and heritage is a time to reflect upon a principle each day, such as Umoja (unity), Kuumba (creativity) or Imani (faith).
What they're saying: The kinara elevates the celebration of Kwanzaa on a global scale, Council member Scott Benson said at the event. It reflects Detroit's commitment to its cultural heritage and shows its vibrancy as a "hub of African American culture and creativity."
Zoom in: The kinara's designer, Bryan Cook of local Develop Architecture, says it is around 30 feet tall, with aluminum platforms and 1,000-pound plates holding up each giant candle.
The flames are 3D-printed plastic with LED lights.
If you go: Thursday's lighting ceremony starts at 4pm, with the lighting itself at sunset around 5pm.
It will be lit daily around 5-5:15pm through Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1).
