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Kwanzaa: A Progressive and Uplifting African American Holiday
Informative and insightful, this book is a complete guide to celebrating Kwanzaa.
16 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1972
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January 2, 2024
AN EXCELLENT BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND & PRINCIPLES OF THE HOLIDAY
Author Haki Madhubuti begins this 1972 booklet with the statement, “The popularization and ‘advancement’ of western culture has effectively eroded the traditions of many non-western people. Few people have endured this erosion and survived with their humanity intact as well as Black people in the United States… Yet, somehow within such survival, many Blacks continue to struggle for recognition, selfhood, and cultural meaning and continuation. This struggle… can be observed daily in the lives of Black people. However, to best understand the inner beats of a people, you look at their special days and moments… it is necessary to observe the celebrations of birth, naming and baptism of their children; the rites of passage of their young men and women, plus their family reunions around special hours [that] all confirm for that people … an invaluable oneness that goes beyond the mere articulation of TRADITION.” (Pg. 3)
He continues, “African-Americans more often than not celebrate the special days of the conquerors… Up until 1966, Negro History Week (which… became Black Liberation Month) was the only nationally observes non-official and non-heroic set of special days that uniquely spoke to Black struggle in the affirmative.” (Pg. 3-4)
He explains, “In 1966, a young visionary … conceived and created the only ‘indigenous and non-heroic Black holiday in the United States,’ KWANZAA. Dr. Maulana Karenga … postulated that significant and meaningful Black movement in the U.S. was improbable, if not impossible, without a cultural component… The word Kwanzaa ‘is derived from the Swahili word Kwanza, which means first … [‘first fruits’]. Dr. Karenga added the extra ‘A’ to distinguish the Afro-American from the African. The ideas and conceptions of Kwanzaa developed out of the system of social and political thought of ‘Kawaida’ (Tradition and Reason), also developed by Dr. Karenga… [who] sought to reflect the best aspirations of the Afro-American people and therefore structured Kawaida in a way that would allow its participants to be involved in Black struggle while they celebrated their history and ongoing development.” (Pg. 4)
He continues, “The cultural dynamism of Kwanzaa is best displayed through its progressive value base, the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles) and its unique absence of a dependency on mystical or spookistic distortion of the world. The Nguzo Saba … represents ‘the minimum set of principles by which Black people must live in order to begin to receive and reconstruct our history and lives..’ The Nguzo Saba requires an introspective confrontation of self and society, demands political action rather than non-action and emphasizes building rather than crippling destruction.” (Pg. 5)
He goes on, “Kwanzaa is… ‘an earth-rooted, social holiday… it is not a Black Christmas or Black Channukkah or anything similar….’ states Dr. Karenga. He goes on… Kwanzaa is not ‘an imitation, but an alternative… an OPPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVE to the spookism, mysticism, and non-earth practices which plague us as a people and encourage our withdrawal from social life rather than our bold confrontation with it.’” (Pg. 6)
He explains, “The placing of Kwanzaa between December 26 and January 1 was an Economic, Political and Educational move: 1. ECONOMIC: … It is certain that if one is to buy, to purchase after Christmas would be an economical move… gift-giving is not mandatory and must not be ‘excessive or unrelated to the goals of liberating and rebuilding ourselves as a free and proud and productive people.’ 2. POLITICAL: Dr. Karenga understood that in terms of time off from employment, our people’s ability to travel and the existence of two of the major western holidays … placing Kwanzaa between December 26 to January 1, would allow Black people more flexibility in terms of controlling their quality time. 3. EDUCATIONAL: Like most holidays Kwanzaa has its rituals and symbols…” (Pg. 7)
He clarifies, “But to appreciate the real value and purpose of Kwanzaa for Black people and to save it from becoming a fad and dying the inevitable … death of all fads---it must be clearly separated from the myths and distortions that have grown up around it. The first myth is that Kwanzaa is a continental African holiday rather than an African-American one. But the fact is that there is nowhere on the African continent a holiday named Kwanzaa… Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday which … reflects the dual character of the identity and experience of the African-American people… Karenga put emphasis on the African roots of the holiday rather than the African-American roots and content for two basic reasons. First… we are an African people and thus, our creations are African both in terms of our racial type and historical and cultural continuity… Kwanzaa is a time for the gathering in of our people, celebration of ourselves and our achievements and rededication to greater achievements and fuller more meaningful lives in the future.” (Pg. 9)
He then gives a brief but very informative of the symbols of Kwanzaa, and an outline of its practice.
This booklet will be of keen interest to anyone studying Kwanzaa.
Author Haki Madhubuti begins this 1972 booklet with the statement, “The popularization and ‘advancement’ of western culture has effectively eroded the traditions of many non-western people. Few people have endured this erosion and survived with their humanity intact as well as Black people in the United States… Yet, somehow within such survival, many Blacks continue to struggle for recognition, selfhood, and cultural meaning and continuation. This struggle… can be observed daily in the lives of Black people. However, to best understand the inner beats of a people, you look at their special days and moments… it is necessary to observe the celebrations of birth, naming and baptism of their children; the rites of passage of their young men and women, plus their family reunions around special hours [that] all confirm for that people … an invaluable oneness that goes beyond the mere articulation of TRADITION.” (Pg. 3)
He continues, “African-Americans more often than not celebrate the special days of the conquerors… Up until 1966, Negro History Week (which… became Black Liberation Month) was the only nationally observes non-official and non-heroic set of special days that uniquely spoke to Black struggle in the affirmative.” (Pg. 3-4)
He explains, “In 1966, a young visionary … conceived and created the only ‘indigenous and non-heroic Black holiday in the United States,’ KWANZAA. Dr. Maulana Karenga … postulated that significant and meaningful Black movement in the U.S. was improbable, if not impossible, without a cultural component… The word Kwanzaa ‘is derived from the Swahili word Kwanza, which means first … [‘first fruits’]. Dr. Karenga added the extra ‘A’ to distinguish the Afro-American from the African. The ideas and conceptions of Kwanzaa developed out of the system of social and political thought of ‘Kawaida’ (Tradition and Reason), also developed by Dr. Karenga… [who] sought to reflect the best aspirations of the Afro-American people and therefore structured Kawaida in a way that would allow its participants to be involved in Black struggle while they celebrated their history and ongoing development.” (Pg. 4)
He continues, “The cultural dynamism of Kwanzaa is best displayed through its progressive value base, the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles) and its unique absence of a dependency on mystical or spookistic distortion of the world. The Nguzo Saba … represents ‘the minimum set of principles by which Black people must live in order to begin to receive and reconstruct our history and lives..’ The Nguzo Saba requires an introspective confrontation of self and society, demands political action rather than non-action and emphasizes building rather than crippling destruction.” (Pg. 5)
He goes on, “Kwanzaa is… ‘an earth-rooted, social holiday… it is not a Black Christmas or Black Channukkah or anything similar….’ states Dr. Karenga. He goes on… Kwanzaa is not ‘an imitation, but an alternative… an OPPOSITIONAL ALTERNATIVE to the spookism, mysticism, and non-earth practices which plague us as a people and encourage our withdrawal from social life rather than our bold confrontation with it.’” (Pg. 6)
He explains, “The placing of Kwanzaa between December 26 and January 1 was an Economic, Political and Educational move: 1. ECONOMIC: … It is certain that if one is to buy, to purchase after Christmas would be an economical move… gift-giving is not mandatory and must not be ‘excessive or unrelated to the goals of liberating and rebuilding ourselves as a free and proud and productive people.’ 2. POLITICAL: Dr. Karenga understood that in terms of time off from employment, our people’s ability to travel and the existence of two of the major western holidays … placing Kwanzaa between December 26 to January 1, would allow Black people more flexibility in terms of controlling their quality time. 3. EDUCATIONAL: Like most holidays Kwanzaa has its rituals and symbols…” (Pg. 7)
He clarifies, “But to appreciate the real value and purpose of Kwanzaa for Black people and to save it from becoming a fad and dying the inevitable … death of all fads---it must be clearly separated from the myths and distortions that have grown up around it. The first myth is that Kwanzaa is a continental African holiday rather than an African-American one. But the fact is that there is nowhere on the African continent a holiday named Kwanzaa… Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday which … reflects the dual character of the identity and experience of the African-American people… Karenga put emphasis on the African roots of the holiday rather than the African-American roots and content for two basic reasons. First… we are an African people and thus, our creations are African both in terms of our racial type and historical and cultural continuity… Kwanzaa is a time for the gathering in of our people, celebration of ourselves and our achievements and rededication to greater achievements and fuller more meaningful lives in the future.” (Pg. 9)
He then gives a brief but very informative of the symbols of Kwanzaa, and an outline of its practice.
This booklet will be of keen interest to anyone studying Kwanzaa.
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