Aurora celebrates Kwanzaa, shared prosperity on East Colfax Avenue

The holiday season is still upon us. The fourth day of Kwanzaa, known as Ujamaa, centers on cooperative economics. It's a principle organizers say fits East Colfax Avenue, a corridor shaped by resilience and the push for revitalization.

A community gathered Monday at the Dayton Street Opportunity Center to celebrate heritage, honor ancestors and highlight the importance of investing back into the neighborhood they call home.

For Maisha Fields, executive director and founder of the Dayton Street Opportunity Center, hosting the celebration was personal.

"I'm straight out of Aurora," Fields said. "This is my home. Unfortunately, my brother lost his life on this same street. These are my roots, and this is the place where I want to see a rebirth of businesses, of people, of education."

Fields said Ujamaa goes beyond symbolism, especially as East Colfax undergoes change.

"Today's principle is about economic opportunity," she said. "It's about investing in businesses in your community and giving people the opportunity to be entrepreneurs."

She described the Opportunity Center as a place to help small businesses grow and build networks that can sustain the neighborhood long-term.

"If you aren't sowing into your community, it will die," Fields said. "We've seen that up and down the Colfax corridor. Boarded-up businesses, disinvestment, loss. I'm here to make sure North Aurora does not die, but that we thrive."

The celebration brought together elders and children, passing culture and responsibility to the next generation. Through song, dance and lessons, kids learned about the seven principles of Kwanzaa and what it means to protect and grow what belongs to their community.

Dr. Anne Garrett-Mills, who has celebrated Kwanzaa for decades, said one of the biggest misconceptions about the holiday is that it's divisive.

"It's actually very inclusive," she said. "It's an opportunity to celebrate African history and understand the cultural contributions Black Americans have made."

Garrett-Mills said the principle of cooperative economics is especially relevant as East Colfax sees revitalization.

"I hope that all voices are involved in the decision-making process -- immigrants, new Americans, African Americans, all members of the community," she said. "Shared prosperity only works when everyone is included."

As lessons were led about planting seeds for the future, organizers said the message is clear: prosperity doesn't happen in isolation. On East Colfax, it has to be built together.