Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, who is the leader of the Black nationalist cultural group US, and also professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.
He is an author of several books, some which are quoted throughout this
site such as: Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
and Kawaida Theory.
Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday that was created by Dr. Karenga, a fact he does
not deny. He doesn't claim that it's from another country or continent,
but is an American-made celebration. He makes this clear in one of
his earlier books titled: Kwanzaa: origin, concepts, practice. Dec.
1977:
"...I did not mean
to suggest in any way that Kwanzaa was a continental African holiday rather
than Afro-American one. On the contrary. I have always stressed
that although Kwanzaa has some historical roots in Africa, it is essentially
a product of the particular social conditions and self-determined needs of
the Afro-American people." p 12.
What "Kwanzaa" means
The word "Kwanzaa" itself is man
made. It is derived from the swahili phrase "matunda ya
kwanza" which means first fruits. Karenga's history has it that the
extra "a" was added to represent the seven children that were a part
of his organization, (US Organization) as each child wanted to represent a
letter of Kwanzaa. (Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and
Culture, pg. 108.)
The Kwanzaa celebration consists of seven days
to celebrate seven principles (the Nguzo Saba), with emphasis on one principle
a day. Because the six day falls on New Years Eve, it culminates in a feast, patterned much like the
first-fruits celebrations of ancient Africa. There are activities such
as the pouring of the libation for ancestors, lighting of candles, raising names
of ancestors (also referred to by many as
"ancestor worship" - discussed more in detail later), and
gift-giving.
Purposes
"It was designed
to unite and to strengthen African communities." Kwanzaa:
A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, p. 108
In spite of attempts to make
this celebration multicultural, Kwanzaa was clearly created with the intention
of this being a "Black Only" cultural event. This would
explain stories regarding white parents of black children who have been banned
from entering Kwanzaa celebrations ("White Mother Unwelcomed at Black
Gathering," San Francisco
Chronicle; San
Francisco, Calif.; Dec 29, 1993).
Those who understand the true
purpose of Kwanzaa understand that is was intended only for those of African
ancestry. Notice the use of the following quote from Dr. Karenga who
speaks of Whites as the "dominant society:"
"...it was chosen
to give a Black alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an
opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate
the practice of the dominant society." p.
21 Kwanzaa: origin, concepts, practice
Karenga clearly created this
holiday for Blacks but has softened his "Black only" stance somewhat
when in his 1997 book of Kwanzaa, twenty years later he says the following:
"Kwanzaa is
clearly an African Holiday created for African peoples. But other
people can and do celebrate it, just like other people participate in Cinco
de Mayo besides Mexicans; Chinese New Year besides Chinese; Native American
pow wows besides Native Americans." p. 110,
Kwanzaa: A
Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
The Nguzo Saba
(The Seven Principles Of Kwanzaa)
Unity, Self-determination, Collective Work and Responsibility,
Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith
Because Kwanzaa was built with
the intention of unifying the Black Family, Karenga created a set of moral
principles to which Kwanzaa is centered upon. The following is a quote
from his 1977 book on Kwanzaa:
"The Nguzo Saba
are in fact, the matrix and minimum set of values by which Black people
must order their relations and live their lives, if they are to liberate
themselves and begin to build a new world and a new people to inhabit
it." p. 40. Kwanzaa:
origin, concepts, practice
Dr. Karenga shows more evidence of his desire to create not
only just a 7-day holiday, but a way of life complete with principles to be
followed daily. The Nguzo Saba will be examined more closely on the
following web pages, revealing the meaning of each principle.
