What Everyone Should Know About Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa’s roots grow from the traditional African first fruit harvest and its modern origins stem from an organizational celebration by US, a cultural organization founded in 1965 by Dr. Maulana Karenga.

It celebrates, recognizes and reaffirms each generation’s stewardship over its agriculture, food production and the society. It also promotes learning about early African history (2000 BC to 1500 AD) and promtes an ethical insistence that African Americans should regularly make a collective homage to honor the cultural roots of their African heritage.

It urges Blacks in America to embrace and respect their cultural heritage and pride as an important part of the overall strategy for improving Black life. It’s a time of year that has been set aside to make a conscious effort to discuss and ask, themselves, their children and their family members about what it means to be descendants of former African slaves living in this day and age.

It also serves as a reminder that no man is an island and that all of God’s children are valuable and each of us have the capacity to use our life to make a positive impact upon the world we live in.

The celebration is 45 years old and still striving to take it's place among other officially recognized cultural holidays, like St Patrick's Day, Oktoberfest and Hanukkah.

The guiding principles of Kwanzaa, the Nguzo Saba offer an essential moral compass to serve as a foundation and framework for building and strengthening, personal relationships and the African American community at-large. Since the inception of the holiday, during Kwanzaa ceremonies Blacks honor the ancient African concept of spreading the good, the joy and the justice they want to see in the world.

The impetus of the holiday is to illuminate each of “The Seven Principles”.

The first day the principle of Umoja (unity) is highlighted. It calls on everyone to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race, i.e., the world African community.

The second principle, Kujichagulia (self-determination), teaches us to define and understand ourselves by the good we do and bring in the world and the loving kindness, care and concern we show towards each other.

The third principle, Ujima (collective work and responsibility), is a principle that teaches the shared responsibility to work and build good will in family, community, society and world

The fourth principle, Ujamaa (cooperative economics). This is a principle about ethics of shared work and shared wealth. It calls upon each of us to engage in economic practices that satisfy needs without exploiting or injuring others or the planet, and to recognize the right of all peoples to the wealth of the world.

The fifth principle is Nia (purpose). A principle that calls us together in collective vocation and the practice of building and developing ourselves in our own indiviual interests as well as in the interests of the world at large.

The sixth principle is Kuumba (creativity). This principle teaches us to constantly strive to repair, renew and rebuild our communities in a beneficial effort to make it better and more beautiful than when we inherited it.

The last day of the celebration, is about Imani (faith) the seventh principle of the Nguzo Saba. This principle teaches us to have a deep-rooted, relentless and resilient faith in our people, and mankind's capacity for doing good.