Kwanzaa, a time to foster pride in African culture

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2966336 ^

[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.

[sheik yerbouty]

You sir, are defaming Festivus! There will be an "airing of grievances."

[HamiltonJay]

A black seperatist that beats and rapes women decides to pull a fast one on the black community, and they bite hook line and sinker... KWANZAA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AFRICA!!

Fools.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Yep

[ConservativeDude]

"Which leads to a wider question, why do we allow the nutcase lefties to spread this bunk through public school curricula?"

I suppose we let them, because we don't make the effort to just say "no".

From time to time, I read about how some idiot education bureaucrat tries to bully a homeschool family, ie, demanding that the credentials of the parents be proven and the curriculum be approved. This is of course patently illegal in most states, but what the hell, right?

I often think about writing my local school district and demanding, as a taxpayer, to 1) review the credentials of the teachers, and 2) to review the curriculum.

I'm pretty sure I would be giving out a lot of F's.

They would of course be shocked that a mere taxpayer would have the audacity to demand a review.

Why shouldn't we though, in principle?

[sheik yerbouty]

Soiled bedsheets.

[JimVT]

Lordy... this is such politically correct stupidity and cupidity combined.

The k-3 school where I work part-time is extolling the virtues of this Kwaanza event, apparently with none of the teachers taking the time to research its origins.

Begorrah...next Christmas I'm going to promote the "Stand and Deliver" days (Dec. 1-31) of my Irish highwaymen ancestors.

We will honor the memory of one of the most famous brigands, one Charles Carragher who was caught in 1718 and his head was spiked on Dundalk jail with his hat and wig on. Their impact on popular culture is reflected in the songs and tunes that commemorate their lives, and the message is clear: old soldiers may die, but brigands go on forever.

Carragher go bragh!

Contributions greatfully accepted to commemorate this great White Boy gone BAAAAAAAAAAD!!!

[Ironfocus]

Most of the curriculum seems to be solid, but I have to question why multi-culturalism based on lies has to be taught. The teachers seem to robots, just do what they are told by the school district, without thinking or questioning, and are given a curriculum by the academia? Their credentials then don't matter as much as those who are creating this claptrap.

[thoughtomator]

Well, it's pretty funny to see people take a fake holiday seriously, yet I am well aware of the implications of this sort of mass-manipulation phenomenon. If you can get 'em to believe a 30-year-old paranoid ex-con's fabrication is a legacy of African culture, you can get 'em to believe anything.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Talk about stereotypes--there is no political entity called "Africa." It's a continent comprised of numerous independent states, each of which possesses (or has possessed) its own unique style of local and national characteristics. Saying "African culture," is like saying "a molecule of blood." Either one will serve to mark you as an uninformed nincompoop.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"It's a chance to get out of America..."

Looks like Kwanzaa has worked its magic on this person.

[ConservativeDude]

"Their credentials then don't matter as much as those who are creating this claptrap."

You got that right.

Teachers are of course robots. Most don't have the intelligence to rise above that. Schools of education are to blame for that. The idea that there is a separate discipline called "education" which, interestingly, does not include any significant effort to learn history, math, philosohy, science, or language, is shocking in and of itself.

"I am totally uneducated. Yet I have a degree in education. Let me teacher your children.....Today, children we are going to learn about the holiday of Kwanzaa..."

Truly Orwellian.

[thombo]

Makes me want to cry as well. Very sad that African Americans have to create a mythical holiday to boost their self esteem, and at the same time thumb their noses at America. All the while making FULL use of our very generous programs that assist poor oppressed Negro's. Ex welfare,subsidized housing, food stamps,affirmative action, minority business loans....

[BobS]

"This is actually turning into a serious dicussion, which I did not intend....

Of course you didn't intend it to be. That's the way things happen sometimes. So let's allow it to run it's course and approach a conclusion.

Kwanzaa is a fake belief created by leftists who think that American Blacks have an attachment to a distant country. They do not. The same as I don't have an attachment to various European cultures. We live where we live and do what we can no matter what we look like.

[Ironfocus]

Is it so only because we allow it to be so? It's sadly true that most parents don't care to verify what their children are being taught, they just blindly trust these educators and the "knowledge" they have.

[ErnBatavia]

Put on your Yamaha....it's time for Hannukah.

[thombo]

Karenga def has credentials. I'm surprised he's not a tenured professor at UofC(Berkley).

[F16Fighter]

"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.

Advice to Miss Johnson:

Stay away from African "male escort services" and blood transfusions.