Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 50 replies, 49 voices, and was last updated 19 years, 4 months ago by
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- As an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community, Kwanzaa brings a cultural message that speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense. Kwanzaa is a seven-day festival celebrating the African-American people, their culture and their history. It is a time of celebration, community gathering and reflection. A time of endings and beginnings. Kwanzaa begins on Dec. 26 and continues until New Year's Day.
The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa are:
Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity. Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination. To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.
Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility. To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.
Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics. To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.
Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose. To restore African-American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity. Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better then what you inherited.
Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith. Believing in our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness of the African American struggle.User Detail :
Name : Dominique, Gender : F, Age : 20, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Scientist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,I do not believe many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. Many do not know how to celebrate it, and many do not even know what Kwanzaa is beyond a holiday in December. I teach 7th grade and many of the students do not know what it is, so I know their parents probably don't celebrate it. I celebrate Kwanzaa with my family, but I had to do the research to find out the principles and how to celebrate it. We are all so caught up with Christmas that I don't believe we take the time or energy to deal with Kwanzaa, since it comes directly after Christmas. I wish more African Americans would celebrate it or at least incorporate some of its principles into their holiday season. Harambee!User Detail :
Name : Babylove, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States,Kwanzaa is quite real. Although I am not African American, I know it is because I was instructed to write a three-page article on it for an underground newspaper I write for. Kwanzaa is really ritualistic; you set tables with symbolic items, and each day you have a celebration, like a poetry reading, for example. Some people exchange gifts, but Kwanzaa isn't big on materialism.User Detail :
Name : Margee, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : American Indian, Age : 16, City : new orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class,I think Kwanzaa is ridiculous. I think God would be totally offended by this BS version of Christmas. It's another 'blackness' trip black people are going on.User Detail :
Name : Melissa, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Antioch, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class,Not that I know of. I don't even think a lot of them even know how to celebrate it.User Detail :
Name : Leo22857, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Bi-Racial, Religion : Catholic, Age : 29, City : Hyattsville, State : MD Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Not all African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. I'm not quite sure if you're educated about the holiday, so let me give you background information. First, people of African descent, from the Caribbean, and other parts of the African Diaspora celebrate Kwanzaa, not just African Americans. During Kwanzaa, black people reaffirm commitment to themselves, their families, community and the black struggle for equality. With that said, Kwanzaa IS celebrated, but again, not by all African Americans. For example, I celebrate Christmas because I am a Christian.User Detail :
Name : EVIJ, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Social class : Middle class,Kwanzaa was founded in California in the 1960s to increase awareness in the pride of African Americans. Seven candles are lit, similar to a Jewish menorah, and each candle represents a belief or matter of pride that African Americans hold (or should hold) dearly. I don't know people who celebrate it as a holiday on the same level as Christmas, but I do know many families that use this holiday as a method to increase awareness and pride to their families.User Detail :
Name : Neveen, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States,It's like anything else, some do and some don't. I don't, but I'm single, and holidays don't mean much to single people. Well, not to some. I doubt, no, I know, that I wouldn't celebrate it under any circustances. I've never felt that strong of a need to do things like that.User Detail :
Name : Nathan20118, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 30's, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,I am mixed (black and white), and as a family we have not celebrated Kwanzaa. My family does not celebrate it, none of my African-American friends celebrate it, nor do we have any Kwanzaa-related programs at my college. So, the answer is no.User Detail :
Name : Tiff, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/White, Religion : Baptist, Age : 21, City : Cleveland, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I'm an African American whose parents are from Ghana, West Africa. I have never and never will celebrate Kwanzaa. We are Christians and celebrate Christmas. I don't know any other African Americans who celebrate this 'holiday.' I can't honestly say that I/we fully understand the reason behind the creation of a new celebration. I have noticed that a lot of blacks in America often try to make superficial connections to the 'mother land.' Perhaps this is yet another means in attaining that goal.User Detail :
Name : ane, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Pentecostal, Age : 23, City : houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I celebrate it. My whole school does.User Detail :
Name : Hannahlore, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : St. Louis, State : MO Country : United States, Social class : Lower middle class,I am African American and don't celebrate Kwanzaa, probably because I did not celebrate it growing up, so it's not a tradition for me. I do know some African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa in various ways. Some attend programs or Kwanzaa balls or send Kwanzaa cards. It is probably more common in larger cities. There's a whole web site about Kwanzaa as well.User Detail :
Name : Maya, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 40s, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,For your information, Kwanzaa is NOT black Christmas. Kwanzaa is not religiously-based. SO then it would have nothing to do with God. Kwanzaa is a 7 day holiday that allows people of African Desent to reflect on the passing year. It falls after Christmas because of this, and some people (like you) tend to get it mixed up. Therefore, I suggest you get the facts straight before you respond. I think God is (not would be) offended by your 'BS' (as you put it) for bashing a cultural holiday you know nothing about.User Detail :
Name : Dominique, Gender : F, Age : 20, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Scientist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,Aren't we angry. Would you say the same for Hannukka?User Detail :
Name : D31848, City : St. Louis, State : MO Country : United States,Before you choose to comment on something, you need to know what you're talking about. If you had done some research, you would see that Kwanzaa is not about replacing Christmas. It is about African culture. People who celebrate Kwanzaa still celebrate Christmas. It's just like a cultural identity thing. Please don't judge unless you know what you are talking aboutUser Detail :
Name : MarronBella22146, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 24, City : Anniston, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : Customer Service, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,
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