The Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) is focusing on unity for this year's holiday celebration, not only for black Penn State students, but for the whole community.

"Unity is for everybody, not just African-Americans," said Tahiirah Allen (senior-broadcast journalism).

The Kwanzaa Extravaganza is set for 7 tonight in HUB Heritage Hall.

Kwanzaa, Swahili for "first fruits," began in the 1960s as a holiday celebrating black freedom and the reaffirmation of the African principles of family, community and culture.

Kwanzaa is represented by seven principles, which are reinforced during the celebration: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).

Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, but the BGSA wanted to give the community an introduction to the weeklong celebration in a few hours, co-chairman Jamil Bey said.

BGSA Executive Secretary Ashleigh May said each year's extravaganza theme is based on one of the seven principles; this year's theme is unity.

The theme will be presented throughout by author and keynote speaker Omar Tyree, and through performances by The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and the Pittsburgh R&B soul band The Real Deal Band.

Bey said some 300 people attended the event last year, and the BGSA is expecting 250 to 300 people this year.

Co-chairman Larry Napoleon said it is another of the many events that highlight Penn State's cultural diversity.

"This is an opportunity to see what African-American culture is about and how it adds to the Penn State community," Napoleon said.

Bey said many students and community members of other ethnicities attend this celebration. He added any event like this provides an opportunity to talk.

"It provides a forum of dialogue for other cultures," Bey said.