Paterson Deputy Mayor Janet McDaniel was honored Thursday for her part in keeping the tradition of Kwanzaa alive at a celebration at the Charles J. Muth Museum at Hinchliffe Stadium.

"It is a time to come together to share common bonds, to give honor to ancestors, persons upon shoulders we stand," McDaniel said at the event.

She served on the Passaic County Board of Social Services for nearly five decades before retiring in December 2023.

Since 2011, McDaniel has served on the board of directors for the nonprofit Paterson Task Force. She has served as deputy mayor since 2018.