dec2015

HOLIDAY
KWANZAA
By David Volz
Celebrating Family, Community, and Culture
Kwanzaa is a celebration of the
harvest and African-American
culture. The holiday grew out of
the social struggles that were taking
place in the United States during
the 1960s and focuses on the seven
principles of African Heritage known
as Nguzo Saba.
The holiday will be celebrated on
December 26 at the African American
Research Library and Cultural Center,
at 2650 NW 6 th Street in Fort Lauderdale,
from 10am to 6pm, and Bass
Park at 2750 NW 19 th Street in Fort
Lauderdale on December 31. Kwanzaa
officially begins on December 26 and
runs through January 1.
Kwanzaa is an important holiday for
Nzingah Oniwosan, coordinator of the
Kwanzaa event at the African-American
Research Library and Cultural Center
in Fort Lauderdale. “It is time for me to
honor what my ancestors have been
through and done and accomplished.
It is a time for me to think about how
I can have a positive effect on the
world,” she said. “Kwanzaa is also an
important opportunity for people not of
African descent to learn about the history
of Africans outside of slavery. I want us
to move beyond looking at ourselves as
former slaves.”
Oniwosan has found that many people
don’t know much about Kwanzaa. She
conducts workshops on the holiday and
its significance. The celebration at the
library will include traditional Kwanzaa activities
including the making of gifts such
as jewelry and other handmade gifts. Also
participants will participate in workshops
on health and wellness, entrepreneurship,
and the making of computer websites.
The idea is to promote self-sufficiency.
There will be performances that explore
the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
It is the time to honor
the struggles and
accomplishments of
ancestors. Promoting
self-sufficiency is
the goal of one local
celebration.
“It is a home event and I have participated
in many home events,” said Oniwosan.
“We light candles and play a game that
ties to Kwanzaa and ask questions about
it. We have conversations and we may
have a dance. It is a time to connect with
family and friends. We may go to the
beach to bring in the new year. We also
discuss goals for the coming year.”
Maulana Karenga is considered the
founder of Kwanzaa in 1965 as an
African-American holiday. He is a professor
and chair of African Studies at
California State University Long Beach.
The name comes from the Swahili phrase
matunda ya kwanza which means “first
fruits of the harvest.” The seven principles
consist of Kawaida, a Swahili word for
tradition, and each of the seven days
of Kwanzaa is dedicated to a principle.
These include Umoja or Unity. This means
people should strive for unity in the family
and community. Kujichagulia means selfdetermination.
People are to define themselves,
create themselves, and speak for
themselves. Ujima means collective and
work responsibility. People are to build
and maintain the community together
and work together to solve problems.
Ujamaa means cooperative economics.
People are to
build their own
businesses and
profit from them
together. Nia
means purpose.
People are to
work collectively
to build their communities.
Kuumba
means creativity.
People are
to work to make
the community
more beautiful
than it was in the
past. Imani means faith. People are to
believe with all their hearts in their parents,
teachers, and leaders, according to the
Kwanzaa website.
Some of the Kwanzaa symbols include
a decorative mats which represents
tradition and a foundation. Crops
represent African harvest celebrations
and collective labor. There is a candle
holder with seven candles representing
the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The
unity cup symbolizes the practice of
unity which makes everything else possible.
The gifts represent the labor and
love of parents and the commitments
made by the children, according to the
Kwanzaa website. P
30
DECEMBER 2015