The month of December is packed with excitement for my family. We begin by celebrating the winter solstice (Dec. 21st) which welcomes the season of winter, it is the longest dark day of the year and commemorates the beginning of days filled with more light. We then Celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with one side of my family and on Christmas day with the other. Our home is filled with light, warmth, the gathering of family, good food, games, and story-telling. The day after Christmas and before New Year’s comes the celebration of Kwanzaa, which lasts for seven days.
As early as I can remember when celebrating Kwanzaa as a child, I’ve known there to be a false idea that Kwanzaa is a religious holiday and therefore it is not celebrated or acknowledged by many in the African American community. Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga and the US organization he founded in 1966. This was a time in our history when Black cultural, and political organizations were founded in response to Jim Crow, and blatant racism and bigotry. Some of these organizations included the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, The US organization, Civil Rights Movement, Cultural Restoration Movement, etc… Although different in their approach, the sentiment of equitable rights, humanity, and empowerment were at their core. Kwanzaa was created as an opportunity for African Americans to reclaim connection to their African roots and values, and to empower each other through community and strengthening our bonds. Although there has been historical controversy surrounding Dr. Maulana Karenga, is it enough to “throw the baby (Kwanzaa) out with the bath water”, and completely erase a holiday that aims to empower our people? From the moment we step out of our homes, black people prepare for how they will be treated, confronted, or perceived by the world around them. We exist in a world where we are continuously challenged by values and ideas rooted in white supremacy, such as, “am I good enough to exist” in certain spaces. Kwanzaa instills in us that our existence is MORE than enough and by living the KWANZAA principles is embracing ourselves and our community. The Kwanzaa principles include: UNITY (Umoja), SELF DETERMINATION (Kujichagulia), COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILTY (Ujima), COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, PURPOSE (Nia), CREATIVITY (Kuumba), FAITH (Imani). I am proud to be a part of a generation in which many of us have chosen to reclaim these values and to build community and embrace our ancestry and blackness in new, yet meaningful, ways. Kwanzaa comes at the end of the year and presents an opportunity to reflect on how you’ve been practicing these principles in your life and how you want move forward in the next year. How are you practicing Kwanzaa this year? And if you’ve never celebrated it, consider how you can apply these principles in your life. Happy Holidays! |
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