Holiday Reflections On Kwanzaa

Accuracy In Media ^ | 19 December 2003 | Malcolm A. Kline

[FormerACLUmember]

T-Lo's (Trent Lott's) Kwanzaa Message to the Nation

Waaaaaaaah Zuuuuuuuup? Props to all the homeys and bizzos back at Ole Miss, and a shout out to my D.C. posse.

Seriously, I would like to wish a Meaningful Kwanzaa to my people and join you in introspective confrontation of self and society from December 26th to January 1st in order to begin to receive and reconstruct our history and our lives, rebuilding a more positive image.

Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, Imani. Now, with that out of the way...

I mo take this op to lay my swerve on that riff I did at Double-Zero's candle jam. Yo peeps, I was just trippin, doing a buck fifty and just busted a shiz-nits. On the furilla, my niggilla. We was just kickin' it. But, no diggety, my rap was totally wack, nomsayin?

Now let's all slap skin and get down to the hardcore. Don't forget who got the phat pockets, and I'm fixin' to stack you brothers up some serious scrilla scratch. You heard? And all those Senate bee-yotches tryin' to Swazey my ass, ya need to just slow ya roll else we gone knuckle up and I mo bust a cap in yo doggy bone.

Crack another 40 and smoke some kill.

[secret garden]

Well-stated remark.

[ConservativeStLouisGuy]

Holiday Reflections On Kwanzaa - Malcolm A. Kline

The Kwanzaa controversy somehow bypassed me, until my African bride forced me to evaluate it. My wife can trace her ancestry directly to Shaka, who reigned over much of sub-Saharan Africa until defeated by the combination of the most powerful European armies at the turn of the last century and tribal leaders who grew disenchanted with the Zulu king. One of these defecting tribal leaders was, in turn, one of my wife's more direct ancestors.

"As an African-American and Pan-African holiday celebrated by millions throughout the world African community," the official Kwanzaa website tells us, "Kwanzaa brings a cultural message which speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense."

You see, I took it for granted that it was an African holiday. When we were still engaged, I watched a Kwanzaa TV commercial in the living room of my fiancée's apartment while my bride-to-be attended to some errand or other elsewhere. As I watched the commercial, I panicked. My mind raced. After all, the official holiday website gives us advice on gifts, Kwanzaa colors and decorations and the celebration of the holiday itself.

I wondered whether I needed to buy presents for all my future in-laws, whether we would all exchange gifts, whether I needed to send special Kwanzaa cards to every member of the family I was marrying into, whether we would have a special dinner. Would I have to learn some special Kwanzaa songs?

As I was lost in this reverie, my African-born fiancée came into the room, looked incredulously at the television set and said, "What in the hell is this Kwanzaa?"

Two years passed. We were now married. Just Gracie and me and baby made three. Actually, the baby was my then-nine-year-old stepson, Darryl. My stepson was in fourth grade. When I came home one night, he excitedly showed me something he had brought home from school.

It was a thin piece of paper rolled into a circle with a circle of paper cut and placed on it like a lid, all of it taped together, with little Dalmation spots dotting it. "What is it?" I asked. Darryl put the paper creation on his head. "It's my Kwanzaa hat," Darryl said.

"Did you make that?" my wife asked. "No, my teacher made it for me," Darryl answered. "Why?" I asked. "She made it for me after I told the class about Kwanzaa," he answered. "But Darryl, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa. I still don't know what it is. Why did you talk to the class about Kwanzaa?" my wife asked Darryl. Darryl said, "My teacher asked me to. She said, 'Since you have come to us from Africa, would you tell the class about the feast of Kwanzaa?'"

"Since we have no idea what it is, what did you say?" my wife asked Darryl. "I said what I heard in the TV commercial," Darryl answered. "And she made you a Kwanzaa hat," I said. "Did she like your talk?" I asked. "Oh yeah, she was practically in tears," Darryl replied. That teacher, like me, is quite Caucasian.

Since that time, I have talked to people from about ten different countries on the African continent and asked each of them about Kwanzaa celebrations. Here is how the inquiry went:

1. No, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa in Kenya. I think that is an Ethiopian holiday.

2. No, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa in Ethiopia. I think that is a Tanzanian holiday.

3. No, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa in Tanzania. I think that is in Gambia.

4. No, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa in the Gambia. I think that is a holiday in Guinnea Bisseau.

5. No, we don't celebrate Kwanzaa in Guinnea Bisseau. I think that is a holiday in Kenya.

If there is an African on the planet who celebrates this African holiday, please tell me about it.

_______________________________________________

A great article debunking the sheer lunacy of Kwanzaa....worthy of a full post....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

- ConservativeStLouisGuy

[Spiff]

I agree it is worthy of a full post and I am notorious for spanking those who unnecessarily excerpt. However, AIM is a source which requires excerpting on Free Republic.

[RightOnline]

Gee. Golly. That was swell. :)

[T Lady]

This only proves the point you made on your other Kwanzaa post: Kwanzaa is a sham. Period.

...Now, when even an African Black tells you he or she (in the case of the author's wife) they know nothing of Kwanzaa, which was to have 'originated' in Africa, you know Americans, especially that idiot of a teacher in young Darryl's school, have literally been sold the proverbial Brooklyn Bridge. This is truly a scary development in Political Correctness indeed.

-Regards, T.

[The Duke]

The people who celebrat this are the same ones who wear the african tribe outfits to work.

Oh, you mean the nutcases(?) Gotcha!

[auntdot]

'The Kwanzaa controversy somehow bypassed me, until my African bride forced me to evaluate it. My wife can trace her ancestry directly to Shaka, who reigned over much of sub-Saharan Africa until defeated by the combination of the most powerful European armies at the turn of the last century and tribal leaders who grew disenchanted with the Zulu king. One of these defecting tribal leaders was, in turn, one of my wife's more direct ancestors.'

How in the heck does anyone know this guy's wife's family tree.

Does she have any written records? Sure doubt it, Africa had no written language until the white man came, and who was keeping birth certificates of tribal members in the early 1800's?

This lady may wish to believe she was born of nobility but my guess is she would have a hard time proving it.

[Puppage]

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!

[fml]

However, I do hear a lot of people talking about Christmas in spite of a tiny movement to ban it from existance.

Your are so right, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

[freekitty]

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[ConservativeStLouisGuy]

Thanks for the tip....I wasn't aware that AIM articles needed to be excerpted....also, I checked on your (NICE) FR profile and noticed that AIM isn't listed as a site that needs to be excerpted....

Take care and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

- ConservativeStLouisGuy