Kwanzaa was created far later than any other ‘traditional’ holiday such as Christmas or Hanukkah, but it holds just as much importance to the community it represents.
Kwanzaa first originated in 1966. The holiday's founder is Dr. Maulana Karenga and it is traditionally celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Maulana Karenga was born Ronald McKinley Everett on July 14, 1941 in Parsonsburg, Maryland. His father was a Baptist minister and a tenant farmer.
In 1959, he moved to Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles City College (LACC). Maulana was a part of civil rights organizations such as Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was eventually elected as LACC’s first African American student body president.
From there, he attended UCLA, University of Southern California (USC), Alliant National University, United States International University and California State University Long Beach. Maulana earned his BA and MA degrees in Political Science and in Social Ethics. Within the field of Africana or Black studies, he researched Maatian ethics, Ifa ethics, and other philosophies, theories, and history.
As years went by, many racially charged incidents were brought to light across the country and continued to happen. Maulana joined groups that encouraged the protection of Afro-Americans and community self-defense against violence.
In 1966, Karenga created Kwanzaa. His goal in creating the holiday was to:
“give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.”
Kwanzaa has seven principles, each represented by a candle:
Umoja (unity); Kujichagulia (self-determination); Ujima (work and responsibility as a collective); Ujimaa (uplifting the community economically); Nia (purpose); Kuumba (creativity); and perhaps the most important, Imani (faith).
Kwanzaa is meant for Africans and Blacks of all religions. It is not religiously motivated, but is for people to celebrate themselves and their perseverance through the bias that has been set by history.
To celebrate and acknowledge that there is pride in being Black, there is joy in being Black, that we can unite with one another as fellow African-Americans, Haitians, Jamaicans and Afro-people’s.
If you would like to learn more about celebrating Kwanzaa, below are a couple links for you to check out with your families.
- National Geographic about Holidays Around the World: Celebrate Kwanzaa.
- PBS What is Kwanzaa?
- Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture