The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest

by Dorothy Winbush Riley

A resource guide to Kwanzaa is organized around the seven principles and describes the traditions, practices, and cultural foundations of the holiday.

Genres: Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FINE INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLIDAY

Dorothy Winbush Riley is a school principal, administrator, and librarian. She wrote in the Introduction to this 1995 book, “Kwanzaa is an African American holiday, which intertwines African traditions with American customs… It was first celebrated on Decedmber 26, 1966,in Los Angeles, by Dr. Maulana Karenga, his family, and friends. Karenga had organized ancient wisdom based on six criteria of a people---history, mythology, creativity, social structure, political organization, and economics---into this African American holiday. The core principles of Kwanzaa, the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles), which Karenga expressed in Swahili… are Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujimi (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).” (Pg. 3)

She further explains the Seven Principles: “UMOJA (UNITY): Umoja is the importance of striving for and maintaining unity in the family, community, nation, and race… KUJICHAGULIA (SELF-DETERMINATION) … means knowing who we are and our role in our community as we journey through life---to define our interest, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves…UJIMA (COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY)… means that through unity we must build and maintain our community, to solve problems together the way we bonded to solve problems in the past… UJAMAA (COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS) … to build and maintain businesses using our collective economic strength… to fill mutually the needs of our community…NIA (PURPOSE)… means we must have pride in ourselves and our ancestry, so we can look within ourselves to build and plan for the total community… KUUMBA (CREATIVITY)… using our individual talents, we keep our home and community clean and beautiful by using our creativity… to build and maintain our community… IMANI (FAITH): Imani is believing in our people, our parents, our teachers, and our leaders by honoring and remembering the best of our history, the best of ourselves, and the best of our dreams and aspirations for the future.” (Pg. 17-19)

She says of the Mishumaa Saba (Seven Candles): [Its] symbolic colors are from the red, black, and green flag (bendara) created by Marcus Garvey… Red … represents the struggle for self-determination and freedom by people of color. Black is the people, the earth… Green represents the Earth that sustains our lives and provides hope, divination, employment, and the fruits of the harvest. (Pg. 24)

She explains, “For the seven days of Kwanzaa, we greet each other with ‘Habari gani,’ which means ‘What’s happening?’ The answer is the principle of the day… A second greeting is ‘Happy Kwanzaa’…” (Pg. 30)

She observes, “There is only one feast day in Kwanzaa, and anticipation of it is a golden thread woven into the tapestry of human existence, to unite friends and family members on the sixth day at the Karamu feast. During the feast, we share the fruits of our labors, wealth and security, with others, while celebrating the journey.” (Pg. 298)

This book will be great interest to those studying/practicing Kwanzaa.

[Okuani Sankofa · Rating 3 out of 5]

*7-/10* I liked it.

The Book in 3 Sentences

The text describes what Kwanzaa is and how it is celebrated..
It is also a collection of stories, historical accounts, poetry, and proverbs that can be used during the holiday..
There are even recipes in the last 60-80 pages.

Impressions

This book is pretty decent. It is a good reference book to have. There is some lowkey “black capitalist/aspiration” stuff in there, but everything in the book is more of an a la carte thing, where you can pick what works for you. I appreciate the accounts of people celebrating Kwanzaa, the recipes, and the elaboration on constructing a program for Kwanzaa.

How I Discovered It

I found it at Half Price Books or Nappy Roots bookstore in OKC. I’ve had this book for years but never read it.

Who Should Read It?

Anyone who wants to learn about Kwanzaa.

How This Book Changed Me

This book changed me by giving me a guideline for how to construct a program for Kwanzaa this year. This will be my first time celebrating it in full.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book on celebrating Kwanzaa. It is divided into chapters which each describe one of the seven principles of the holiday. The chapter has an explanation of the principle, some poems and folk tales that illustrate the points, and one or more brief biographies of people whose lives or actions illustrate the principle. The introductory chapter describes how people celebrate the holiday, and the concluding chapter describes family celebrations followed by recipes.

At work today we had a holiday trivia contest. One of the questions was which principle of Kwanzaa was for self-determination: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, or Ujaama? I was one of the few people who got the answer right - it's Kujichagulia which probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't just read this book.

[Zimirah D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rich and informative guide to the meaning, practices, and cultural foundations of Kwanzaa. I enjoyed the poems, the proverbs, the stories, and the lessons woven throughout, and the book offers a lot of depth for anyone who wants to understand the holiday beyond the surface level. It’s very informational, and at times you have to stay committed because it reads more like a reference than something for leisure — which is exactly what it’s meant to be.

I did notice a few small typos, and the candle-lighting order presented in the book doesn’t fully align with what I’ve learned outside of it. That may come down to different interpretations or teachings, but it’s still worth noting.

Overall, it’s a solid, educational resource with a lot of valuable cultural context.

[Mrs E Cramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction and overview to the holiday of Kwanzaa. The author includes quotes, proverbs, and fables to encourage discussion and dialog among families.