Kwanzaa 2007-08

I prepared our Kwanzaa table today. It's something I've done for the last fifteen years or so. In the late 1980s, I observed with my family and various community groups. That period was also when Kwanzaa became commercialized--one of the reasons why I stepped back and focused more on the private observances at home. Unless they can commit to Kwanzaa's seven principles, I can't see how JC Penney, McDonalds and other corporations can genuinely celebrate Kwanzaa with the black community.

Kwanzaa is a "first fruits" celebration---not a religious holiday or substitute for Christmas. It is a time to reflect on the harvests of the year, how the extended family is doing, and the state of the black community at large.


It is a communal time to say, "I will do better. We will do better."


UMOJA (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

KUJICHAGULIA (Self Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility) To build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.

UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit together from them.

NIA (Purpose) To make as our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

KUUMBA (Creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way that we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it.

IMANI (Faith) To believe with all our hearts in our parents, our teachers, our leaders, our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.