Cultural Fabric of Society

The last day of Kwanzaa, a seven-day celebration of African and African American cultures, was observed Saturday at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana. The afternoon party, sponsored by the African Cultural Arts Council, was dedicated to increasing appreciation for cultural diversity through the arts.

Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits” in Swahili and was created in 1966, is a non-religious holiday in which traditional African clothing is worn.

At Saturday’s event, Kofi Bentsi-Enchill, above, wore a purple semiformal, cotton-brocade boubou from Nigeria, and Rosemary Agnew-White donned a vanilla boubou . Left: Malika Rahmaan, left, was attired in a purple and gold cotton, Uganda-style gown, called a busuti . Anne Jenning wore a shamma , a casual cotton outfit worn in Ethiopia.