Merry X-mas.
Posted on 12/27/2004 6:45:37 AM PST by ConservativeDude
Kwanzaa, a time to foster pride in African culture Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
Associated Press Gary Harvey stands behind a kinara, a candleholder similar to a menorah, as he gives a Kwanzaa presentation Sunday at the Hope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Utica, N.Y. The seven-day festival, which was established 38 years ago by Maulana Karenga, celebrates family, community and culture.
HACKENSACK, N.J. -- For Marlene Ware, a teacher at Teaneck High School, Kwanzaa is an opportunity to demystify Africa.
"A lot of African-Americans to this day really don't acknowledge the role that Africa has in the world," Ware said.
As organizer of the high school's annual Kwanzaa celebration, which was held earlier this month, Ware uses the holiday to demonstrate the importance of Africa to people of all races.
She understands that Kwanzaa, which began Sunday, can be of particular value to young African-Americans. Ware said many young people have distorted impressions of Africa, and Kwanzaa can correct that.
"We're really hoping it does raise self-esteem, particularly of African-Americans about their culture. They really don't know about Africa," she said.
In addition to organizing the high school's Kwanzaa festival, Ware teaches African dance and organizes trips to the continent every few years. At the Kwanzaa celebration on Dec. 12, Ware had classes teaching African drumming and jewelry-making as well as a ceremony explaining the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
"It's a time when the community comes together and celebrates African culture, and that's why we did it."
Families and educators look to Kwanzaa as a way to educate young people, particularly young African-Americans, about Africa as well as the struggles blacks have faced in the United States.
"It invites family time and family unity and it gives them another sense of who they are," said Keli Drew Lockhart-Ba of Trenton, a psychologist who celebrates the holiday with her family and runs a business, Creative Memories, that constructs family scrapbooks for special occasions like Kwanzaa.
"It connects people to their heritage," said Verushka Spirito, associate director for performances at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, which held its annual children's festival earlier this month and drew about 5,000 youths from around the state. The event included African dance classes, where young people attempted to soar and twirl down the dance floor, as well as face-painting, music concerts and storytelling.
Kwanzaa was first observed in 1966. It was created by Maulana Karenga, now the chairman of the black studies department at California State University at Long Beach, as a way for African-Americans to celebrate their roots in Africa. It is now observed by millions of people around the world.
The holiday's name comes from the Swahili matunda ya kwanza, which means "first fruits." And Kwanzaa uses as its inspiration for its ceremonies the early harvest celebrations in Africa.
Kwanzaa celebrates the Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. They are umoja, or unity; kujichagulia, or self-determination; ujima, or collective work and responsibility; ujamaa, or cooperative economics; nia, or purpose; kuumba, or creativity; and imani, or faith. During each night of the holiday, celebrants light a candle on the kinara, a candleholder similar to a menorah, to recognize each of the principles. Each day a different principle is celebrated.
For Lockhart-Ba, the non-religious nature of the holiday makes it a great way to share a special moment with her family since her husband is Muslim and she is Christian.
"It's not a religious holiday, it gives our family an opportunity to understand our heritage and we go over all the principles and for each principle we have the kids read them," Lockhart-Ba said.
Ware said it's important to tear down stereotypes about Africa.
Bridgette Johnson, a senior at Teaneck High School, said that many of her peers only think of famine and AIDS when they imagine the subcontinent.
"I think when people think of Africa, they think of HIV and the commercials on TV with the hungry kids," said Johnson. "If people asked me if there is one place I wanted to go, I would say Africa."
Johnson and Ware, along with 18 other fine- and performing-arts students and another teacher, are traveling to Ghana this spring to experience Africa firsthand. The group, called THREAD -- Teaneck High Represents Education Art and Diversity -- has held bake sales and talent shows to raise money for its trip, which isn't officially being sponsored by the board of education.
"Ghana is a big part of the middle passage," Ware said. The middle passage is the journey African slaves took to reach the United States from Africa. Ghana is one of the countries where slaves were transported to the New World. "It's really going to be an excellent experience." The students will exchange lessons with their peers from Ghana during the trip.
Johnson said many friends were shocked she wanted to travel to Ghana.
"When I told a lot of people I was going to Africa they told me, `Don't talk to me,' when I get back, `You'll have AIDS,'" Johnson said.
"It's a chance to get out of America and in school everyone always talk about the facts about Africa and nobody really knows," said Sade Henry, also a senior at Teaneck High School. "I think we should learn more about Africa."
Johnson said that if more people celebrated Kwanzaa, there would be a greater understanding of the importance of the continent.
"Unless you celebrate the holiday, you don't know the gist of it," Henry said.
Ah yes, a festivus for the rest of us!
Oprah has opened up schools and orphanages and fed people in Africa. I don't know of any other celebrity that does that.
[Googles]
Heh. You learn something new every day...even if it's just how to say [Barbra Streisand] in Swahili.
On my Kwanzaa Mule. My Kwanzaa Mule is named Zeke. Don't you have a Kwanzaa Mule?
Oprah has a net worth several times greater than the vast majority of African nations, in the aggregate. Interesting proposal.
ROFLMAO!
I always like to know how other people handle stuff like this, especially people like us.......LOL.
I'm going to keep the way you handled it in mind. I would guess your approach is much better than mine would be: "What a bunch of BS!!!"
If I had wealth on the scale on Oprah or Bill Gates, I would make Mugabe an offer he couldn't refuse.
And it's funny too.
Mugabe and Kwanzaa. Liberalism in a concentrated form.
Porcupine droppings?
What the ....
just a couple questions .....africa actually HAS a harvest ?
of what ? and secondly, without the perpetual famines and
tribal murderfests in africa, what would the guilt-ridden
do-gooders have to wring their hands over ?
JUST SAY “NO” TO KWANZAA!
Black Minister Says Blacks Should Celebrate Christmas and Reject Kwanzaa
Los Angeles— “Black Christians should be outraged by recent attempts to stamp out Christianity from Christmas celebrations,” said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of BOND (Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny). There have been numerous reports from across the country of public school administrators and city officials attempting to ban nativity scenes, Christmas carols, candy canes, and even Christmas trees from public places. Yet, the ‘African’ holiday Kwanzaa has become accepted as mainstream. Kwanzaa is taught in public schools, recognized by corporations, and even President George W. Bush issued a proclamation celebrating Kwanzaa in 2002.
Rev. Peterson said: “Kwanzaa is an anti-God, anti-American, and anti-white holiday created by a black felon. Kwanzaa only serves to further separate blacks from God and America. Black Christians should stop celebrating this pagan holiday—instead, they should stand up for Christmas. ”
Observed from December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana “Ron” Karenga as a holiday to help blacks get in touch with their African roots. Karenga was also the head of head of United Slaves Organization, a Marxist black power group. In 1970, Karenga was arrested and charged with conspiracy and assault in the torture of two of his female followers. Karenga was convicted and served four years for the crime.
Rev. Peterson said: “If black Christians don’t stand up for Christmas and reject Kwanzaa, they are allowing evil to have its way. They will regret using a fake holiday to stamp out the true meaning of Christmas.”
BOND is a nationally recognized religious nonprofit organization whose purpose is “Rebuilding the Family by Rebuilding the Man.” Founded in 1990, BOND has helped countless individuals and families from across the country overcome some of life’s most challenging problems.
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http://www.bondinfo.org/media/pressreleases/04releases/pr12.20.04.htm
preach it brutha.......can we get an ayyyyyyyyyyyy-men ?
Merry X-mas.
Nowhere in the article is there a mention of the contributions of the culture.
I fail to see societal or other benefits in celebrating a phony event thereby ignoring our true Christian heritage (eg Christmas) at this time of year. Doesn't Kawanzaa detract from the true spirit of this sacred season? Isn't it based on something totally fabricated? If so, it is wrongheaded to promote or to take part, IMO.
Not porcupine.
I'm not meaning to pick on you (I don't really have a horse in this race), but your comment caught my eye. What facts are you drawing from that credit a single philosophy for the murder of hundreds of millions of people?
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