Don’t Miss Kwanzaa

The journey of Kwanzaa is constantly evolving. Full of spirit, struggle and, most importantly, hope, Kwanzaa is part of the African-American quest for identity with Black Africa. The word Kwanzaa means “first fruits” and is based on the celebration of a community’s first harvest, a ritual that was commonly performed in ancient Africa. These “first fruits” were often brought to the altars of the gods as a sacrifice in prayers to ancestors for continued health and communal prosperity.

Maulana Karenga, who established the Kwanzaa holiday in 1966 and currently chairs the National Association of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO), describes Kwanzaa as “a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense.” The journey of Kwanzaa is therefore a journey into oneself.

Kwanzaa is built on Nguzo Saba, seven principles that guide daily experiences and ultimately shape the human life experience. These are umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith). All principles are equally vital in the growth of individuals, establishment of vibrant communities, furtherance of social justice and promotion of spiritual well-being.

According to Alderman Joe Davis, who chairs Milwaukee’s annual African World Festival, “Kwanzaa signifies a sense of self-awareness and commitment to community.” He adds that the principle of kuumba is key to finding solutions that effect sustainable change not only in Milwaukee, but in other parts of the world as well.

More Than Words

As you read this article, you may be wondering: “How can Kwanzaa be relevant to my life, family or organization?” Partaking in and attending a celebration of this holiday may be one way to find out. Every year, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum kicks off the celebration of Kwanzaa in Milwaukee on Dec. 26 at 6 p.m. Clayborn Benson, the society’s executive director, has hosted the Kwanzaa celebration since the inception of the museum in 1987. Over the years, the total attendance has grown from 13 people in the first year to 3,300 in 2006.

Prior to founding the Black Historical Museum, Benson worked as a photojournalist and traveled to Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, the former Soviet Union, China and other countries in a bid to chronicle the history of museums while studying other cultures. Benson says that Kwanzaa is “more than just words or a holiday … it is meditative sustenance all year round.” It’s a time for “honoring African ancestors in preparation for the unborn while celebrating a unity with all peoples that has no religious ties.” Benson, a Baptist, stressed that Kwanzaa is a means to preserve the African-American connection to Africa.

This year’s Kwanzaa gathering at the Black Historical Society will focus on the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of civil rights marches in Milwaukee. Benson says that the seven-day candle-lit celebration is one of a kind. It’s free and open to the public, and people can sample an array of “African food, music, poetry, drumming [and] pouring of libations.”

The ceremony itself is colorful and consists of lighting seven candles surrounded by the seven symbols of Kwanzaa. Each symbol correlates to one of the principles of Kwanzaa and furthers an African cultural value. The symbols are mazao (the crops) and mahindi (the corn), which symbolize the harvest, kikombe cha umoja (the unity cup), symbolizing unity, kinara (the candleholder), which holds the seven candles, mkeka (the mat), symbolizing history, zawadi (the gifts), which symbolize labor and love, and bendera, the red, black and green flag based on Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African ideology.

Following the example of the Black Historical Society, the celebration of Kwanzaa in Milwaukee continues to become more prominent as different community leaders and organizations, churches and individual families incorporate it into the frenzy of December holiday festivities. Amid the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, the observation of Hanukkah, World AIDS Day and International Children’s Day, Kwanzaa is a time for self-evaluation, reflection, reconciliation and the coming together of family and friends.

For more information on the annual opening ceremony on Dec. 26, please visit the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum (2620 W. Center St.) or call 372-7677. This year, try something new, get out of your comfort zone and…don’t miss Kwanzaa!

REPLY TO THIS COMMENT

anonymous

Virtually everything having to do with Kwanzaa is fraudulent. Kwanzaa has nothing to do with preserving African American connections to Africa. There is little about Kwanzaa - its principles, language, symbols or celebrations - linked to western Africa, or the regions from which African-American citizens originated. Describing Kwanzaa as “a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense” is about the same as calling Krystallnacht a colorful celebration of German heritage, or creating a holiday to honor the teachings of Pol Pot (who imposed agrarian collectivization and, along the way, exterminated one-fifth of the Cambodian population), or David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. "Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga," the founder of ths fake holiday, has been quite successful in burying his past and rebranding himself. His real name is Ron Everett. In the 1960s, he organized the United Slaves Organization, a group founded to rival the Black Panthers. Ironically, the Panthers thought Everett was too radical. He thought that the Panthers should have been more violent. The United Slaves didn't seem to mind gunning down members of the Black Panthers on the UCLA campus. Then, in September of 1971, Everett was sentenced to 1-10 years of prison on counts of felonious assault and false imprisonment. He tortured Gail Davis and Deborah Jones by stripping them of their clothes, whipping them with electrical cords and beating them with a karate baton. He also put a hot soldering iron into the mouth of Davis, and clamped her toes in a vice. He then put detergent in their mouths and ran water into their mouths with garden hoses. The name of this "holiday" comes from the Swahili term, "Matunda Yakwanza," or first fruit, and all of the terms associated with Kwanzaa are Swahili in origin. Swahili has no relevance or ancestral connection to American blacks. It is an eastern African language, and the vast majority all American blacks decend from slaves taken from western Africa. This "holiday" actually has no African roots of any kind. There are no known harvest festivals celebrated in Africa, in the month of December. Corn is a nonsensical symbol, as corn is not native to Africa and was brought to Africa by white colonialists. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are the very same seven principles of the Symbionese Liberation Army. In 1974, Patricia Hearst, a kidnap victim who threw in for a while with her SLA captors, posed next to the banner of her captors -- a seven-headed cobra. Each snake head stood for one of the SLA's revolutionary principles: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba and Imani — the same seven "principles" of Kwanzaa. Everett based his Ujima and Ujamaa (the principles of collective work and cooperative economics) on the socialist economic principles of Julius Kambarage Nyerere. Nyerere was the first president of Tanzania, and also a despot and abuser of human rights. Like Everett, who bestowed upon himself the name "maulana" (master teacher), Nyerere like to call himself "Mwalimu" (teacher), though he actually was a teacher earlier in his career. Nyerere cited the term "ujamaa" as his justification to uproot tens of thousands of Tanzanians and ship them forcibly to collective farms. Many died or starved. His policies resulted in Tanzania falling from being Africa's exporting nation of agricultural products, to its largest importer. To this day, most of Africa remains divided along tribal, cultural and ethic grounds. Many African countries or regions remain under the control of despots and warlords; chaos reigns; and murder, rape, torture and repression remain commonplace. Is this the "unity" that Everett (Karenga) envisions for everyone else? The list of misleading or fraudulent aspects of this "holiday" could go on and on. In creating this fake holiday, Everett's intention was for Kwanzaa to be divisive, and to promote racial confrontation. It is sad that this celebration of racism and separatism is touted in media, and even taught and promoted in schools. Any efforts to do something similar by non-black groups to "rebrand" Krystallnacht, or to honor other despots and racists like Pol Pot or David Duke, justifiably would be met with outrage. Apparently there is much more money to be made on Kwanzaa.

ramble on much, racist?

meepos, are you able to refute any of the points made by Mr. Ireland, or are you just content to throw out the "racist" charge in lieu of any real point? You represent everything that is wrong with the race relations in this country. It is not racist to point out that someone belonging to a minority has done something wrong, or that you disagree with a point made by someone of an ethnicity different from your own. But when you've got nothing intelligent to say, "racist" sure is easy to throw out there.

1.) The reference to David Duke is a dead giveaway. 2.) His arguements are baseless, as holidays of any kind are meant to evoke traditions, not reflection on the current state of it's country of origin. Kwanzaa was created as a means for African Americans to reflect on African traditions; they weren't meant to expose racial, cultural or political tension in Africa. Are we supposed to dwell on White Supremacy in Europe when we celebrate Christmas? If you're going to be so bold as to say, "the true meaning of Christmas," are we supposed to be all happy and jolly when we think of Palestinians and Israelites killings themselves? Mr. Ireland's rant is typical of a white man who has no idea what lies at the root of other cultural celebrations. It reeked of ignorance. "Racist," is sometimes easy to throw around, sir, because it's targets make it an easy weapon.

meepos, it is clear that Mr. Ireland is using David Duke as a negative example. If you see it otherwise, I have to ask whether or not you can read anything without imparting your own biases to every word. To your point #2, the main point of Mr. Ireland's comment is that Kwanzaa is not based in African traditions. Furthermore, who said anything about the "true meaning of Christmas"? Perhaps Mr. Ireland would give us just as dark a view of the origins of Christmas and the commercial culture surrounding it. But you rushed to call him a racist without knowing that, didn't you? Now it's out there, and you've once again taken the easy way out.

It's not clear at all that he's shedding David Duke in a negative light. In fact, he's using him as a defense mechanism. Kwanzaa is deeply rooted in reconnecting African Americans to the traditions of their African roots. How is that fraudulent? It was one man's vision to recognize a culture that American was more than willing to ignore. How is that "fraudulent?" Christmas has long been a Capitalistic bastardization of it's original intent and Maulana Karenga felt that blacks in America should distance themselves from that "tradition" and the religion that supported it's own hypocrisy. How is that "fraudulent." Karenga was supporting a community and promoting unity. David Duke and Pol Pot promoted hatred and violence. Comparing those two to Karenga shows a tremendous amount of ignorance, both historical and cultural. Mr. Ireland didn't give us a dark view of Christmas because it's so closely tied to white people. He didn't refute Hanukkah; too many white people there, as well. Why did he lambaste Kwanzaa? Gee, I wonder. By the way, I find it funny that you haven't contributed anything worthwhile to the conversation, Dave. How easy and convenient for you.

I am shedding David Duke and Pol Pot in negative lights. Ron Everett (aka "Karenga") belongs right along with them -- as well as other modern advocates of racism, segregation and ethnic cleansing -- as nothing more than a promoter of hatred and violence. Don't believe me, just ask Gail Davis and Deborah Jones. Oh - Gail probably had a little trouble talking after having a hot soldering iron put in her mouth, as she and Jones endured two days of rape and torture at the hands of Everett ("Karenga"). Or, ask John Jerome Huggins and Alprentice Carter. Whoops, can't do that, as both of those Black Panthers were shot dead by members of Everett's United Slaves after they had the audacity to verbally insult Everett. Supporting a community and promoting unity? In the Kwanzaa Information Center website under background about the colors of the Kwanzaa flag, it notes: "We lost our land through blood; and we cannot gain it except through blood. We must redeem our lives through the blood. Without the shedding of blood there can be no redemption of this race...In addition, with the formation of the Republic of News Africa, it has become the symbol of devotion for African people in America to establish an independent African nation on the North American Continent." The shedding of blood; an independent African nation on the North American continent -- sounds like a call for racial warfare. Black unity, perhaps, but in a violent and segregationist way. The same page promotes a "pledge of allegiance" which, among other things, calls for one nation of black people. Again, a call for racial separation and warfare. Kwanzaa is not "deeply rooted" in anything beyond that. It's a made up "holiday," created by a despot, using principles espoused by other despots, and at its roots promotes segregation, hatred and racial warfare. Its ties to eastern African language and Marxist economic principles have little to do with the vast majority of African Americans, whose decendents were violently and wrongly taken from western Africa -- which is not represented anywhere in any of these made-up rituals, sayings and traditions. There is much to celebrate in African tradition. None of it is historically or legitimately represented in Kwanzaa. There also are many other African American leaders whose teachings deserve more recognition and should be taught more prominantly than they have been. However, the likes of Everett (Karenga) should be called out for what they are, among the other despots.

Don’t Miss Kwanzaa

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