Kwanzaa
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gumby
I AM GUMBY DAMMIT
The History of Kwanzaa
December 26th - January 1st
Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture, is the fastest growing holiday in the U.S. An estimated 18 million Africans celebrate Kwanzaa each year around the world, including celebrants in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, especially Brazil, Canada, India, Britain and numerous European countries.
The holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a scholar-activist who is currently professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach. Several cities in the U.S. have issued proclamations in honor of the celebration of Kwanzaa. Among them are Baltimore, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia.
Kwanzaa as an African-American holiday belongs to the most ancient tradition in the world, the African tradition. Drawing from and building on this rich and ancient tradition, Kwanzaa makes its own unique contribution to the enrichment and expansion of African tradition by reaffirming the importance of family, community, and culture.
In his book titled, The African-American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, Dr. Karenga explains that KWANZAA is based on ancient African harvest celebrations. The word KWANZAA comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits." KWANZAA is celebrated seven days, from December 26th through January 1st, a period which represents the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. This time in African culture is called "the time when the edges of the year meet," which is a time of celebration, focus, and assessment.
African harvest celebrations have five basic aspects which KWANZAA also shares. They are: 1) in gathering of the people; 2) special reverence for the Creator and creation, especially thanksgiving and commitment; 3) commemoration of the past, especially paying homage to the ancestors; 4) re-commitment to our highest ethical and cultural values, especially Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles); and 5) celebration of the Good of life, especially family, community, and culture.
Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa to reaffirm African-Americans' rootedness in African culture, to reinforce the bonds between them as a people, and to introduce and reaffirm the value of the Nguzo Saba, The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. The central reason Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days is to pay homage to The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa which in Swahili are: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, and Imani. The principles are also known as The Seven Principles of African American community development and serve as a fundamental value system.
Kwanzaa is represented by seven symbols: Mazao (crops), Mkeka (mat), Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), Muhindi (ears of corn), Zawadi (gifts), and Kikombe Cha Umoja (unity cup). The candle holder has seven candles, one black, three red and three green. The colors are black for Black people, red for their struggle and green for the hope and future that come from the struggle.
Each ear of corn represents the children in the family and community. The gifts are primarily for the children, but other family members can also receive gifts. The gifts should include a book and a heritage symbol to stress the ancient and continuing stress on the value of education and reaffirm the importance of culture and tradition. The unity cup is used to pour libation for the ancestors and it is drunk from as a ritual to reinforce unity in the family and community. All seven symbols are put on a Mkeka (straw mat). The Kwanzaa setting piece which includes the seven symbols is placed on a table or any other central location in the home.
The lighting of the candles begins on the first day of Kwanzaa, December 26th. The black candle is the first candle lighted. The second day of Kwanzaa, the black candle is relighted as well as the first candle to the left, a red candle, December 27th. Each day every candle which has been lighted is relighted along with the next candle of that day. Candles are lighted left to right alternately. The lighting practice is ordered to represent first the people (the black candle), then the struggle (the red candle), then the future and hope (the green candle) which comes from the struggle.
Dr. Maulana Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He also is the director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies, Los Angeles, and national chairman of the organization Us, a cultural and social change organization. Moreover, Dr. Karenga is chair of the President's Task Force on Multicultural Education and Campus Diversity at California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Karenga is author of numerous scholarly articles and eight books. His latest works are Introduciton to Black Studies, 2nd Edition, the most widely used intro text in Black Studies; his re-translation and commentary on ancient Egyptian texts which is titled, Selections From The Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt; The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture; and The Book of Coming Forth By Day: The Ethics of the Declarations of Innocence.
Dr. Karenga has taught Black Studies at California State University at Los Angeles, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, San Diego and the University of California at Riverside. Moreover, he has served as Visiting Professor, Black Studies at University of Nebraska, Omaha. An activist-scholar of national and international recognition, he has lectured on the life and struggle of African peoples on the major campuses of the U.S.A. and in Africa, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Trinidad, Britain, and Canada.
Dr. Karenga is also widely known as the creator of Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday celebrated also in Africa, the Caribbean, South America - especially Brazil, and African communities in Britain and other European countries. His philosophy of Kawaida is an ongoing synthesis of the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world. Moreover, he is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and community service including: The National Leadership Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievements in Black Studies from the National Council for Black Studies; The Diop Exemplary Leadership Award from the Department of African-American Studies -- Temple University; and The Citation for Scholarship, Leadership and Creation, Preservation and Promotion of African-American Culture from the City Council of Philadelphia.
Also, Dr. Karenga has recently received his second doctorate in Social Ethics at the University of Southern California. The title of his dissertation was "Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics." Finally, he recently served as a member of the executive council of the National Organizing Committee of the Million Man March/Day of Atonement and authored the Mission Statement for this joint project.
December 31st is the evening upon which the Kwanzaa Karamu (Feast) is held. This special evening is a time for feasting upon a variety of African-influenced meals as well as acknowledging the importance of history, culture, and family. (Check out the Kwanzaa Recipes in our main collection!)
When preparing for this special evening, special items, or symbols, are necessary. There are seven symbols. These items should be displayed as part of the Kwanzaa Karamu:
1) Mazao (fruit and vegetables)
2) Mkeka (place mat)
3) Kinara (candle holder for seven candles)
4) Vibunzi (ears of corn reflective of the number of children in the home)
5) Zawadi (gifts - usually for the children)
6) Kikombe Cha Umoja (community cup)
7) Mishumaa Saba (the seven candles)
December 26th - January 1st
Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture, is the fastest growing holiday in the U.S. An estimated 18 million Africans celebrate Kwanzaa each year around the world, including celebrants in the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, especially Brazil, Canada, India, Britain and numerous European countries.
The holiday was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a scholar-activist who is currently professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach. Several cities in the U.S. have issued proclamations in honor of the celebration of Kwanzaa. Among them are Baltimore, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia.
Kwanzaa as an African-American holiday belongs to the most ancient tradition in the world, the African tradition. Drawing from and building on this rich and ancient tradition, Kwanzaa makes its own unique contribution to the enrichment and expansion of African tradition by reaffirming the importance of family, community, and culture.
In his book titled, The African-American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, Dr. Karenga explains that KWANZAA is based on ancient African harvest celebrations. The word KWANZAA comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits." KWANZAA is celebrated seven days, from December 26th through January 1st, a period which represents the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. This time in African culture is called "the time when the edges of the year meet," which is a time of celebration, focus, and assessment.
African harvest celebrations have five basic aspects which KWANZAA also shares. They are: 1) in gathering of the people; 2) special reverence for the Creator and creation, especially thanksgiving and commitment; 3) commemoration of the past, especially paying homage to the ancestors; 4) re-commitment to our highest ethical and cultural values, especially Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles); and 5) celebration of the Good of life, especially family, community, and culture.
Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa to reaffirm African-Americans' rootedness in African culture, to reinforce the bonds between them as a people, and to introduce and reaffirm the value of the Nguzo Saba, The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. The central reason Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days is to pay homage to The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa which in Swahili are: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, and Imani. The principles are also known as The Seven Principles of African American community development and serve as a fundamental value system.
Kwanzaa is represented by seven symbols: Mazao (crops), Mkeka (mat), Kinara (candle holder), Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), Muhindi (ears of corn), Zawadi (gifts), and Kikombe Cha Umoja (unity cup). The candle holder has seven candles, one black, three red and three green. The colors are black for Black people, red for their struggle and green for the hope and future that come from the struggle.
Each ear of corn represents the children in the family and community. The gifts are primarily for the children, but other family members can also receive gifts. The gifts should include a book and a heritage symbol to stress the ancient and continuing stress on the value of education and reaffirm the importance of culture and tradition. The unity cup is used to pour libation for the ancestors and it is drunk from as a ritual to reinforce unity in the family and community. All seven symbols are put on a Mkeka (straw mat). The Kwanzaa setting piece which includes the seven symbols is placed on a table or any other central location in the home.
The lighting of the candles begins on the first day of Kwanzaa, December 26th. The black candle is the first candle lighted. The second day of Kwanzaa, the black candle is relighted as well as the first candle to the left, a red candle, December 27th. Each day every candle which has been lighted is relighted along with the next candle of that day. Candles are lighted left to right alternately. The lighting practice is ordered to represent first the people (the black candle), then the struggle (the red candle), then the future and hope (the green candle) which comes from the struggle.
Dr. Maulana Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He also is the director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies, Los Angeles, and national chairman of the organization Us, a cultural and social change organization. Moreover, Dr. Karenga is chair of the President's Task Force on Multicultural Education and Campus Diversity at California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Karenga is author of numerous scholarly articles and eight books. His latest works are Introduciton to Black Studies, 2nd Edition, the most widely used intro text in Black Studies; his re-translation and commentary on ancient Egyptian texts which is titled, Selections From The Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt; The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture; and The Book of Coming Forth By Day: The Ethics of the Declarations of Innocence.
Dr. Karenga has taught Black Studies at California State University at Los Angeles, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, San Diego and the University of California at Riverside. Moreover, he has served as Visiting Professor, Black Studies at University of Nebraska, Omaha. An activist-scholar of national and international recognition, he has lectured on the life and struggle of African peoples on the major campuses of the U.S.A. and in Africa, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Trinidad, Britain, and Canada.
Dr. Karenga is also widely known as the creator of Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday celebrated also in Africa, the Caribbean, South America - especially Brazil, and African communities in Britain and other European countries. His philosophy of Kawaida is an ongoing synthesis of the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world. Moreover, he is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and community service including: The National Leadership Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievements in Black Studies from the National Council for Black Studies; The Diop Exemplary Leadership Award from the Department of African-American Studies -- Temple University; and The Citation for Scholarship, Leadership and Creation, Preservation and Promotion of African-American Culture from the City Council of Philadelphia.
Also, Dr. Karenga has recently received his second doctorate in Social Ethics at the University of Southern California. The title of his dissertation was "Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics." Finally, he recently served as a member of the executive council of the National Organizing Committee of the Million Man March/Day of Atonement and authored the Mission Statement for this joint project.
December 31st is the evening upon which the Kwanzaa Karamu (Feast) is held. This special evening is a time for feasting upon a variety of African-influenced meals as well as acknowledging the importance of history, culture, and family. (Check out the Kwanzaa Recipes in our main collection!)
When preparing for this special evening, special items, or symbols, are necessary. There are seven symbols. These items should be displayed as part of the Kwanzaa Karamu:
1) Mazao (fruit and vegetables)
2) Mkeka (place mat)
3) Kinara (candle holder for seven candles)
4) Vibunzi (ears of corn reflective of the number of children in the home)
5) Zawadi (gifts - usually for the children)
6) Kikombe Cha Umoja (community cup)
7) Mishumaa Saba (the seven candles)
wmburdette
9/11 - Never Forget!
Kwanzaa was invented in 1966 by a black radical FBI stooge, <?xml:namespace prefix = st2 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comgumby said:
ffice:smarttags" /><st2ersonName w:st="on"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas:contacts" /><st1:GivenName w:st="on">Ron</st1:GivenName> <st1:Sn w:st="on">Karenga</st1:Sn></st2ersonName>, aka Dr. Maulana Karenga. Karenga was a founder of United Slaves, a violent nationalist rival to the Black Panthers and a dupe of the FBI. It started out as a bunch of Marxist crap and continues to be that. Unfortunately the children attending our government indoctrination centers, aka public schools, are not given any information on this at all.
Mikeinsmd
New Member
Besides Qurious, who do you think will read all that BS?The History of Kwanzaa
December 26th - January 1st
GSXR_MOE
Adding Diversity to SOMD
I'm just curious, how are you guys planning on "doing away with a holiday" that you don't celebrate?
itsbob
I bowl overhand
I saw news converage last year at a KWANZAA celebration.. blck woman on the stage doing some kind of dance.. or her interpretation of what a dance is.. and they pan to the audience and there is NONE.. just her dancing on the stage..
Now, why did that warrant news coverage?? I mean if it was SRO and people lined up outside I could understand, but if there isn't enough public interest for ANYOne to show up, why wast my news time with it?
Now, why did that warrant news coverage?? I mean if it was SRO and people lined up outside I could understand, but if there isn't enough public interest for ANYOne to show up, why wast my news time with it?
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Did...
...you know that the creator of kwanzaa was born in Maryland?
...you know that the creator of kwanzaa was born in Maryland?
clevalley
...
It's the stupid ass liberal media pushing to the minority target audience so the squeaky wheels do not squeak.
It is the most ridiculous holiday... I call it a racist "holiday"... what if there was a holiday created celebrating white european history?
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
What would happen if white people decided they wanted to do Kwanzaa, too? Do you have to be black to celebrate Kwanzaa?
MMDad
Lem Putt
You had to be black until ten years ago. Now anyone can celebrate:
WIKI said:
smilin
BOXER NATION
Let me get this right before my head stops spinning. Kwanzaa was invented by blacks, for blacks who wanted a black holiday, so they wouldn't have to celebrate any non black holiday?
Now the organizer apparently has let the rest of the races in?
Non blacks are considered racist?
smilin
BOXER NATION
Amen.
Except for one problem: To the exclusion of all other races?
Celebrate Petezaa!
GSXR_MOE
Adding Diversity to SOMD
Amen.
Except for one problem: To the exclusion of all other races?
Celebrate Petezaa!
Let me get this right before my head stops spinning. Kwanzaa was invented by blacks, for blacks who wanted a black holiday, so they wouldn't have to celebrate any non black holiday?
Now the organizer apparently has let the rest of the races in?
Non blacks are considered racist?
I don't know where u guys are getting your facts from... I don't think Kwanzaa exludes any other races or religious celibrations.... Many people celebrate both Christmas and Kwanzaa.....
Black history fact
Although Kwanzaa was intended as a holiday specifically for African-Americans, it is a little known fact of black history that in 1997 Ron Karenga amended this position. Kwanzaa, while still a holiday honoring African heritage, can be celebrated by any individual of any culture or race. He uses the examples of Cinco de Mayo, and Chinese New Year as culturally specific holidays celebrated and honored outside the cultures from which they came. Kwanzaa, like many social movements, has slipped into a post-modern thinking that stresses both integrity and identity of a particular group while not excluding others from other groups from participation.
T
toppick08
Guest
If their so proud, let 'em move back to Africa. Bet they come back.
Toxick
Splat
You mean like Columbus Day?
Or St. Patrick's Day?
Who the #### cares if it's a made up holiday? Mother and Father's Day are made up BS holidays, created by greeting card companies to sell more cards. I don't hear anyone #####ing and kvetching about that. Does Kwanzaa hurt anyone? They endorse values - and from what I can tell, they're values that I agree with.
If you don't like Kwanzaa, then don't celebrate it.
T
toppick08
Guest
It's just a dig at the man.
clevalley
...
Interesting Reading...
A few years or so ago, we (at work) got into a discussion of religious holidays and Kwanzaa came up. I did some searching and found some interesting reading below. The particular information was researched and compiled and put online by the author (cannot remember). His views and comments are a bit pointed, but I for the most part agree with it.
It is interesting Karenga has a "past" for torturing two of his "followers"! I find this extremely hypocritical of his "beliefs". I have been jaded since.
BTW - my son has also studied about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in middle school.
QUOTED from another site I stripped sometime ago and had saved on my HD;
The concept of a cultural celebration by African-Americans of themselves and their history is a good one. The specific values celebrated in Kwanzaa, however, suck. They are socialist -Marxist-collectivist-totalitarian crap. Everyone seems to tiptoe around Kwanzaa feeling that they have to be respectful, I guess because they are fearful of being called a racist. However, I find it terrible to see such a self-destructive set of values foisted on the African-American community. These values are nearly perfectly constructed to keep blacks in poverty - just look at how well these same values have played out in Africa.
First, understand that I have no problem with people of any ethnic group or race or whatever creating a holiday. Life is worth celebrating, as often as possible, even if we have to make up new occasions. One of the great things about living in Arizona is getting to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Second, understand that Kwanzaa is not some ancient African ethno-cultural tradition. Kwanzaa was made up in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Karenga was a radical Marxist in the 60's black power movement. Later, Karenga served time in jail for torturing two women:
Deborah Jones ... said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Miss Davis' mouth and placed against Miss Davis' face and that one of her own big toes was tightened in a vice. Karenga ... also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said."
Interestingly, after this conviction as well incidents of schizophrenia in prison where "the psychiatrist observed that Karenga talked to his blanket and imaginary persons and believed that he had been attacked by dive-bombers," California State University at Long Beach saw fit to make him head of their Black Studies Department.
Anyway, I give credit to Karenga for wanting to create a holiday for African-Americans that paid homage to themselves and their history. However, what Karenga created was a 7-day holiday built around 7 principles, which are basically a seven step plan to Marxism. Instead of rejecting slavery entirely, Kwanzaa celebrates a transition from enslavement of blacks by whites to enslavement of blacks by blacks. Here are the 7 values, right from the Kwanzaa site (with my comments in red itallics):
Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race
On its surface, this is either a platitude, or, if serious, straight Marxism and thoroughly racist. Think about who else in the 20th century talked about unity of race, and with what horrible results.
In practice, the notion of unity in the black movement has become sort of a law of Omerta -- no black is ever, ever supposed to publicly criticize another black. Don't believe me? Look at the flack Bill Cosby caught for calling out other blacks..
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves
Generally cool with me -- can't get a libertarian to argue with this. When this was first written in the 60's, it probably meant something more revolutionary, like secession into a black state, but in today's context I think it is fine.
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together
Um, do I even need to comment? This is Marxism, pure and simple.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
OK, I said the last one was Marxism. This one is really, really Marxism.
Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
There's that collectivism again
Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
I guess I don't have much problem with creativity and make things better. My sense though that if I was to listen to the teaching on this one in depth, we would get collectivism again.
Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
What about in ourselves as individuals? Through all of this, where is the individual, either individual responsibility or achievement? It is interesting that a holiday that was invented specifically to be anti-religious would put "faith" in as a value. In fact, Karenga despised the belief in God as paying homage to "spooks who threaten us if we don't worship them and demand we turn over our destiny and daily lives."
However, this is in fact very consistent with the teachings of most statists and totalitarians. They tend to reject going on bended knee to some god, and then turn right around and demand that men go on bended knee to ... them, or other men. This is in fact what this "faith" was about for Karenga - he is a statist laying the foundation for obedience to the totalitarian state. He wants blacks to turn over their destiny and daily lives to their leaders, not to god.
So, in conclusion, Kwanzaa was designed as a celebration of creating a totalitarian collectivist Marxist racist state among African-Americans. I may well get comments and emails that say "oh, thats not how we celebrate it" and I will say fine - but Marxism is the core DNA of the holiday, a holiday created by a man who thought Lenin and the Black Panthers were all wimps.
Never wishing to criticize without suggestion a solution, here are alternate values I might suggest:
Freedom - Every individual is his own master. We will never accept any other master again from any race (even our own). We will speak out against injustices and inequalities so our children can be free as well.
Self-Reliance - Each individual will take responsibility for their life and the lives of their family
Pride - We will be proud of our race and heritage. We will learn about our past and about slavery in particular, so we will never again repeat it.
Entrepreneurship - We will work through free exchange with others to make our lives better and to improve the lives of our children
Education - We will dedicate ourselves and our time to education of our children, both in their knowledge and their ethics
Charity - We will help others in our country and our community through difficult times
Thankfulness - Every African-American should wake up each morning and say "I give thanks that my ancestors suffered the horrors of the slavery passage, suffered the indignity and humiliation of slavery, and suffered the poverty and injustices of the post-war South so that I, today, can be here, in this country, infinitely more free, healthier, safer and better off financially than I would have been in Africa."
By the way, if you doubt that last part, note that in the late 90's, median per capita income of African Americans was about $25,000, while the per capita income of Africans back in the "old country" was around $700, or about 35x less. Note further this comparison of freedom between the US and various African nations. Finally, just read the news about the Congo or Rwanda or the Sudan.
END QUOTED information...
A few years or so ago, we (at work) got into a discussion of religious holidays and Kwanzaa came up. I did some searching and found some interesting reading below. The particular information was researched and compiled and put online by the author (cannot remember). His views and comments are a bit pointed, but I for the most part agree with it.
It is interesting Karenga has a "past" for torturing two of his "followers"! I find this extremely hypocritical of his "beliefs". I have been jaded since.
BTW - my son has also studied about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in middle school.
QUOTED from another site I stripped sometime ago and had saved on my HD;
The concept of a cultural celebration by African-Americans of themselves and their history is a good one. The specific values celebrated in Kwanzaa, however, suck. They are socialist -Marxist-collectivist-totalitarian crap. Everyone seems to tiptoe around Kwanzaa feeling that they have to be respectful, I guess because they are fearful of being called a racist. However, I find it terrible to see such a self-destructive set of values foisted on the African-American community. These values are nearly perfectly constructed to keep blacks in poverty - just look at how well these same values have played out in Africa.
First, understand that I have no problem with people of any ethnic group or race or whatever creating a holiday. Life is worth celebrating, as often as possible, even if we have to make up new occasions. One of the great things about living in Arizona is getting to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Second, understand that Kwanzaa is not some ancient African ethno-cultural tradition. Kwanzaa was made up in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Karenga was a radical Marxist in the 60's black power movement. Later, Karenga served time in jail for torturing two women:
Deborah Jones ... said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Miss Davis' mouth and placed against Miss Davis' face and that one of her own big toes was tightened in a vice. Karenga ... also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said."
Interestingly, after this conviction as well incidents of schizophrenia in prison where "the psychiatrist observed that Karenga talked to his blanket and imaginary persons and believed that he had been attacked by dive-bombers," California State University at Long Beach saw fit to make him head of their Black Studies Department.
Anyway, I give credit to Karenga for wanting to create a holiday for African-Americans that paid homage to themselves and their history. However, what Karenga created was a 7-day holiday built around 7 principles, which are basically a seven step plan to Marxism. Instead of rejecting slavery entirely, Kwanzaa celebrates a transition from enslavement of blacks by whites to enslavement of blacks by blacks. Here are the 7 values, right from the Kwanzaa site (with my comments in red itallics):
Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race
On its surface, this is either a platitude, or, if serious, straight Marxism and thoroughly racist. Think about who else in the 20th century talked about unity of race, and with what horrible results.
In practice, the notion of unity in the black movement has become sort of a law of Omerta -- no black is ever, ever supposed to publicly criticize another black. Don't believe me? Look at the flack Bill Cosby caught for calling out other blacks..
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves
Generally cool with me -- can't get a libertarian to argue with this. When this was first written in the 60's, it probably meant something more revolutionary, like secession into a black state, but in today's context I think it is fine.
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together
Um, do I even need to comment? This is Marxism, pure and simple.
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
OK, I said the last one was Marxism. This one is really, really Marxism.
Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
There's that collectivism again
Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
I guess I don't have much problem with creativity and make things better. My sense though that if I was to listen to the teaching on this one in depth, we would get collectivism again.
Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
What about in ourselves as individuals? Through all of this, where is the individual, either individual responsibility or achievement? It is interesting that a holiday that was invented specifically to be anti-religious would put "faith" in as a value. In fact, Karenga despised the belief in God as paying homage to "spooks who threaten us if we don't worship them and demand we turn over our destiny and daily lives."
However, this is in fact very consistent with the teachings of most statists and totalitarians. They tend to reject going on bended knee to some god, and then turn right around and demand that men go on bended knee to ... them, or other men. This is in fact what this "faith" was about for Karenga - he is a statist laying the foundation for obedience to the totalitarian state. He wants blacks to turn over their destiny and daily lives to their leaders, not to god.
So, in conclusion, Kwanzaa was designed as a celebration of creating a totalitarian collectivist Marxist racist state among African-Americans. I may well get comments and emails that say "oh, thats not how we celebrate it" and I will say fine - but Marxism is the core DNA of the holiday, a holiday created by a man who thought Lenin and the Black Panthers were all wimps.
Never wishing to criticize without suggestion a solution, here are alternate values I might suggest:
Freedom - Every individual is his own master. We will never accept any other master again from any race (even our own). We will speak out against injustices and inequalities so our children can be free as well.
Self-Reliance - Each individual will take responsibility for their life and the lives of their family
Pride - We will be proud of our race and heritage. We will learn about our past and about slavery in particular, so we will never again repeat it.
Entrepreneurship - We will work through free exchange with others to make our lives better and to improve the lives of our children
Education - We will dedicate ourselves and our time to education of our children, both in their knowledge and their ethics
Charity - We will help others in our country and our community through difficult times
Thankfulness - Every African-American should wake up each morning and say "I give thanks that my ancestors suffered the horrors of the slavery passage, suffered the indignity and humiliation of slavery, and suffered the poverty and injustices of the post-war South so that I, today, can be here, in this country, infinitely more free, healthier, safer and better off financially than I would have been in Africa."
By the way, if you doubt that last part, note that in the late 90's, median per capita income of African Americans was about $25,000, while the per capita income of Africans back in the "old country" was around $700, or about 35x less. Note further this comparison of freedom between the US and various African nations. Finally, just read the news about the Congo or Rwanda or the Sudan.
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wmburdette
9/11 - Never Forget!
Since most of the ideas cited by Karenga when he started this holiday for his United Slaves organization were straight out of the Communist Manifesto which was not specifically targeted to one particular race. This was followed by many of the radical elements of the 1960's fringe organizations, one of the more famous or infamous was a few years later when the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst. The multi-headed symbol of the SLA represented the pillars of Kwanzaa. Karenga was convicted in 1971 IRC of torturing and beating two women in Los Angeles. His United Slaves were a very violent radical group.