Wiki History: Intro to Kwanzaa!

Introduction to Kwaanza!

Welcome back to robinlofton.com!  Thanks for listening this December because the podcasts this month are very special. Actually, all the podcasts are special (like November’s Wiki history podcasts about Blacks in the Military or October’s wiki history lecture series about Black Explorers). The wiki history lecture series this month will recognize a holiday and discuss ways to celebrate this holiday.

So, without further ado, what is the holiday? 

Kwanzaa!

That’s right, the wiki history lecture series is about Kwanzaa. Last month, I promised to do this series about this important holiday so that’s what we’re gonna do.  I hope you remembered that the History is Power! lecture for December has been delayed until January so that we could devote more time to studying Kwanzaa (which you will hear is a great mixture of history, culture, politics, Pan-Africanist principles, and spirituality).  But the History is Power! Lecture series will return in January and will discuss the civil rights movement—lots of interesting information and stories there so don’t miss it next month.

Back to Kwanzaa! Let me begin by wishing you, “Heri za Kwanzaa!” which means Happy Kwanzaa! In this wiki history podcast, I will introduce Kwanzaa: what it is, how it developed, why it’s important, who celebrates it and how it can be celebrated. Let’s get started.

What is Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a 7-day celebration that honors the African heritage in African American culture.  It was founded by Dr. Maulauna (Ron) Karenga in 1965 and first celebrated the following year in 1966. Dr. Karenga (who is a very interesting and inspirational person) believed (and still believes) that it i important for African Americans to get more in touch with their African roots, culture, traditions and customs.

This is not a recent development. During the Black Nationalist movement of the 1960s, African Americans started looking beyond the United States to discover or re-discover what had been systematically stripped away from us during slavery: our connection to Africa, culture, heritage, language, and way of life. So,

Kwanzaa is one way to help African Americans and other Blacks around the world to reconnect with their cultural and historical legacies. This is done through studying African principles, recognizing African traditions and customs and practicing specific rituals.

But it is not heavy and boring. Kwanzaa is a celebration. It is uplifting, motivating, and fun!

We will broadly discuss the principles in the podcast but let’s back up for a moment.  What do you know about the word, Kwanzaa?

Kwanzaa is a Swahili word, which is from East Africa. It is the language used by Pan-Africanists. The full name of the holiday is actually Matunda ya Kwanza.  It means the “first fruits of the harvest.” This gives us a little hint into the focus of the celebration. But there is much more to it that we’ll learn about later.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there are 7 principles of the Kwanzaa celebration. I will simply mention the principles today and I’ll say them in English. But in later podcasts, I will go into much more detail and use their Swahili names.

Here are the principles:

First principle: Unity

Second principle: Self-Determination

Third Principle: Collective Work and Responsibility

Fourth Principle: Cooperative Economics

Fifth Principle: Purpose

Sixth Principle: Creativity

Seventh Principle: Faith

So, there you have them: the seven principles of Matunda ya Kwanzaa. Dr. Karenga developed them (he said) from the best African thinkers and practitioners.

Let me repeat them: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.

We will discuss these seven principles over the next seven podcasts so stay tuned.

Together with these principles are the traditions, rituals, and symbols. I will just briefly mention the seven symbols that accompany the seven principles—this could give you an opportunity to go out and buy these items. They’re not hard to find! You might even find some of them in your own home. But they are important and you’ll learn why in the coming shows.  They are:

1.    A decorative mat

2.    Corn or other crops (remember, it’s the first harvest)

3.    Candle holder with seven candles

4.    A communal cup (that’s a cup for sharing)

5.    Small gifts

6.    Sign or poster of the seven principles

7.    Flag with red, black and green

See? These items aren’t weird or unusual but they are meaningful. And don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to collect these items for your daily Kwanzaa celebration. 

And what to wear? That is usually one of my first questions when I receive an invitation: what should I wear?

It’s not complicated:

Traditionally, men wear dashikis (or shirts) and women wear kaftans (or dresses).

Finally, you might be wondering how many people celebrate Kwanzaa? Great question!

It’s difficult to know how many people celebrate Kwanzaa around the world but the number falls somewhere between 2 million and 30 million. It is celebrated in Canada, France, Great Britain, Jamaica, Brazil as well as the United States.

So, that is almost all for today. 

The next seven podcasts will be dedicated to each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. And you will hear great ways to celebrate and recognize the holiday—in big and grand ways or in small and subtle ways.  Whichever way that you choose will be uplifting and inspirational and lots of fun for everyone. The next podcast will discuss the first principle of Kwanzaa. Do you remember which principle it is?  Unity. It’s a great principle to start with.

I just want to tell you that my reasons for introducing and discussing Kwanzaa. I know that many of us are thinking of other holidays right now like Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, or the Dongzhi Festival. But Kwanzaa is special to me because it is a unique and authentic way to learn about, recognize, and connect with African culture. And you (or I) can still celebrate these other holidays, if you choose. Hey, I love Christmas but I don’t ever want to forget where my people came from or what they have endured and overcome for me to be who, what, and where I am today. 

Because African culture is so important, keeping it alive and showing it the proper respect are critical to knowing who we are, I am supporting (through these podcasts) the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. It was established in 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson (remember him?) to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture around the world. And for the past 100 years (yes, they’re about to celebrate their centennial anniversary!) this organization has been working hard to promote Black history and culture worldwide. They have an active organization and website: the address is www.asalh.org where you can join, get information about their activities, purchase their black history theme kits, books and journals, and find lots of great information. I just want to add as well that they are participating in an Oral History Project on Black Veterans to ensure that African American voices will be amply represented in the history of American wars. If you enjoyed my November podcasts about Blacks in the military, I think that you will be fascinated by their Oral History Project on Black Veterans.

I strongly support the Association for the Study of African American Life & History and I hope that you will too. You can also follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook. For every person who listens to these Kwanzaa podcasts in December, I will make a donation of $1 to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.   So, tell your friends! It is my honor and pleasure to support such an important organization.  Remember, the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. www.asalh.org.

I hope that you have enjoyed this wiki history lecture introducing Kwanzaa. And I hope that you will attend the entire wiki history lecture series this month.  See you next time for the first wiki history Kwanzaa lecture about Unity.

Remember to visit robinlofton.com. Leave your comments and questions. Tell me how you celebrate Kwanzaa or other ways that you keep African history and culture alive in your family. Share your experiences.  I love to talk but I always love to hear from my listeners.

And a big thank you to Jon Knox who has composed this special music for these Wiki History Kwanzaa lectures. He always does such great work; these podcasts wouldn’t be the same without his music.

See you next time at robinlofton.com. Heri za Kwanzaa!