You may have noticed the growing visibility of Kwanzaa, particularly over the past few years. You may even wonder why you’ve never heard of it until so recently. Perhaps you even question the emergence of this holiday, simply because it is a celebration dedicated to the African-American community. Before you claim a prejudiced perspective, it may be worthwhile to have a basic understanding. In understanding Kwanzaa, you will see that its principles, although developed for African Americans, hold a very universal meaning.

Kwanzaa is not a traditional African celebration, although many traditions from many regions of Africa were combined to develop this modern holiday. The key here is that this holiday was created specifically for the African-American community, not just to bring forth some of the African culture, but also to emphasize the importance of unity of African-American families. It is a spiritual and festive celebration; however, it is not tied with any religion.

Kwanzaa was developed and initiated by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966 in Los Angeles. Karenga sought to bring into existence a holiday, specifically for African Americans, that concentrated on the growth, development, and essence of Black Americans. By establishing a holiday centered around honoring the past, evaluating the present, and committing to a fuller and more productive future, Karenga encouraged the betterment of life for all Black Americans.

The celebration of Kwanzaa from December 26th to January 1st reflects many of the harvest festivals of Africa. Following the theory of the harvest, whatever was sown in the previous seasons has been reaped, whether the fruit is positive or negative. What the harvest brings determines the direction for the new year — the seeds of the future. Although Kwanzaa is celebrated during these seven days, the principles are intended as a year-round way of life.

The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa, are expressed in Swahili, a language of East Africa:

UMOJA (Unity) - Striving for and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

KUJICHAGULIA (Self Determination)

UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility) - Building and maintaining a community together, making each individual’s problems a problem for the community to solve together.

UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics) - Building and maintaining stores, shops, and businesses and profiting together from them.

NIA (Purpose)

KUUMBA (Creativity)

IMANI (Faith)

It is easy to see that the principles themselves can be applied universally. By naming them in an African language, these principles take on a cultural orientation. There is much more to the celebration of Kwanzaa, in terms of the symbols and the exploration of the African culture, which makes it more particular to the African-American population.

You may or may not agree that the African-American community needs to have its own holiday. When Karenga formulated Kwanzaa, it was with the intent that African Americans identify with their African heritage, and that they take a unified approach to achieving success as a people. The important factor is that we all recognize that Kwanzaa, although it may be geared to one particular segment of the population, and although it is a modern holiday, the theory behind its creation is for the betterment of a people. Even a strengthening of a segment of the population contributes to an overall betterment of the entire human race.