Kwanzaa is an African-American and Pan-African holiday which dates back to 1966, when it was founded by California State University professor Dr. Maulana Karenga.
Kwanzaa celebrations include African drums, singing, dancing, poetry, and a family meal. A candle is lit on each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa in honor of the seven principles of the holiday: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. A discussion of the principle is hosted after the candle is lit.
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Umoja (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. |
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Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. |
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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. |
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Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. |
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Nia (Purpose) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. |
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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. |
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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. |
