Today we begin KWANZAA celebration in the black community. Kwanzaa is a unique African American cultural holiday celebrating the rich heritage of the people of African ancestry. Kwanzaa is observed over a seven-day period from 12/26 -1/1. The word Kwanzaa is an East African Swahili word meaning First Fruits. It is based on an African traditional celebration of harvest, where an entire village celebrates and shares the rewards of the land. Kwanzaa was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a cultural activist and Black Studies professor, whose goal was to unite the African-American community, strengthen its family structure and improve its self-image by linking the community back to its African Roots by the strong African role models. At the core of Kwanzaa are seven principles (Nguzo Saba) represented by 7 candles (3 green, 3 red, 1 black) placed on a kinara (stand). The BLACK candle represents unity among native Africans and African-Americans, RED represents struggle for equality and freedom, the GREEN represents hope for better community and wealth. During the seven days a candle is lit, starting with the black one which is placed in the middle on the kinara. Principles are: Umoja (Unity) Kujichagulia (Self Determination) Ujima (collective work) Ujamaa (cooperative economics) NIA (Purpose) KUUMBA (Creativity) IMANI (Faith)
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 11:04:51 +0000
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