The TRUTH about Kwanzaa

BLACKS IN AMERICA have suffered an endless series of insults and degradations, the latest of which goes by the name of Kwanzaa.

Ron Karenga (aka Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga) invented the seven-day feast (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) in 1966, branding it a black alternative to Christmas. The idea was to celebrate the end of what he considered the Christmas-season exploitation of African Americans.

According to the official Kwanzaa Web site -- as opposed, say, to the Hallmark Cards Kwanzaa site -- the celebration was designed to foster "conditions that would enhance the revolutionary social change for the masses of Black Americans" and provide a "reassessment, reclaiming, recommitment, remembrance, retrieval, resumption, resurrection and rejuvenation of those principles (Way of Life) utilized by Black Americans' ancestors."

Karenga postulated seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, each of which gets its day during Kwanzaa week. He and his votaries also crafted a flag of black nationalism and a pledge: "We pledge allegiance to the red, black, and green, our flag, the symbol of our eternal struggle, and to the land we must obtain; one nation of black people, with one G-d of us all, totally united in the struggle, for black love, black freedom, and black self-determination."

Now, the point: There is no part of Kwanzaa that is not fraudulent. Begin with the name. The celebration comes from the Swahili term "matunda yakwanza," or "first fruit," and the festival's trappings have Swahili names -- such as "ujima" for "collective work and responsibility" or "muhindi," which are ears of corn celebrants set aside for each child in a family.

Unfortunately, Swahili has little relevance for American blacks. Most slaves were ripped from the shores of West Africa. Swahili is an East African tongue.

To put that in perspective, the cultural gap between Senegal and Kenya is as dramatic as the chasm that separates, say, London and Tehran. Imagine singing "G-d Save the Queen" in Farsi, and you grasp the enormity of the gaffe.

Worse, Kwanzaa ceremonies have no discernible African roots. No culture on earth celebrates a harvesting ritual in December, for instance, and the implicit pledges about human dignity don't necessarily jibe with such still-common practices as female circumcision and polygamy. The inventors of Kwanzaa weren't promoting a return to roots; they were shilling for Marxism. They even appropriated the term "ujima," which Julius Nyrere cited when he uprooted tens of thousands of Tanzanians and shipped them forcibly to collective farms, where they proved more adept at cultivating misery than banishing hunger.

Even the rituals using corn don't fit. Corn isn't indigenous to Africa. Mexican Indians developed it, and the crop was carried worldwide by white colonialists.

The fact is, there is no Ur-African culture. The continent remains stubbornly tribal. Hutus and Tutsis still slaughter one another for sport.

Go to Kenya, where I taught briefly as a young man, and you'll see endless hostility between Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya and Masai. Even South African politics these days have more to do with tribal animosities than ideological differences.

Moreover, chaos too often prevails over order. Warlords hold sway in Somalia, Eritrea, Liberia and Zaire. Genocidal maniacs have wiped out millions in Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia. The once-shining hopes for Kenya have vanished.

Detroit native Keith Richburg writes in his extraordinary book, "Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa," that "this strange place defies even the staunchest of optimists; it drains you of hope ..." Richburg, who served for three years as the African bureau chief for The Washington Post, offers a challenge for the likes of Karenga: "Talk to me about Africa and my black roots and my kinship with my African brothers and I'll throw it back in your face, and then I'll rub your nose in the images of rotting flesh."

His book concludes: "I have been here, and I have seen -- and frankly, I want no part of it. .... By an accident of birth, I am a black man born in America, and everything I am today -- my culture and my attitudes, my sensibilities, loves and desires -- derives from that one simple and irrefutable fact."

Nobody ever ennobled a people with a lie or restored stolen dignity through fraud. Kwanzaa is the ultimate chump holiday -- Jim Crow with a false and festive wardrobe. It praises practices -- "cooperative economics, and collective work and responsibility" -- that have succeeded nowhere on earth and would mire American blacks in endless backwardness.

Our treatment of Kwanzaa provides a revealing sign of how far we have yet to travel on the road to reconciliation. The white establishment has thrown in with it, not just to cash in on the business, but to patronize black activists and shut them up.

This year, President Clinton signed his fourth Kwanzaa proclamation. He crooned: "The symbols and ceremony of Kwanzaa, evoking the rich history and heritage of African Americans, remind us that our nation draws much of its strength from our diversity."

But our strength, as Richburg points out, comes from real principles: tolerance, brotherhood, hard work, personal responsibility, equality before the law. If Americans really cared about racial healing, they would focus on those ideas -- and not on a made-up rite that mistakes segregationism for spirituality and fiction for history.

Kwanzaa Links

Racial Revelry - TooGood Reports

Did You Have A Happy Kwanzaa? - WorldNetDaily

Celebrate Reality - Not Fantasy - Tampa Tribune

Kwanzaa Quandary - Tucson Weekly

We Wish You A Phony Festival - Report (Canadian Magazine)

So This Is Kwanzaa - Newsmax.com

Ann Coulter on Kwanzaa - TownHall.Com

Mona Charen on Kwanzaa - Jewish World Review

Tony Snow on Kwanzaa - Jewish World Review

The TRUE Spirit of Kwanzaa - The New American magazine

The Story of Kwanzaa - The Dartmouth Review

The Truth About Kwanzaa - A Christian Viewpoint

A Momentary Loss of Reason - Binghamton Review

Kwanzaa & The White House - NY Post Editorial, 1997 (Freerepublic.com thread)

Michael Savage on Kwanzaa - NewsMax

Happy Kwanzaa - FrontPage Magazine - Link may not work, if it doesn't click here for the Free Republic thread.

I'm Dreaming of a White Kwanzaa - LewRockwell.com - Link may not work, if it doesn't click here for the Free Republic thread.

Letter to Editor - Ypsilanti Courier

What is Kwanzaa? - File Passed Around On Internet About Kwanzaa

Happy Kwanzaa by Patrick S. Poole

Kwanzaa Religious Connection:

Anti-Christian? Anti-Christmas?

Karenga himself says that Kwanzaa is an "oppositional alternative" to Christianity - which he calls "spookism" and "eurocentric". He claims the Bible is myth and rejects Jesus Christ.

"...Kwanzaa is not an imitation, but an alternative, in fact, and oppositional alternative to the spookism, mysticism and non-earth based practices which plague us as a people . . . "
pg 14, Kwanzaa: Origin, Concepts, Practice. 1977

Karenga defines "spookism" as "belief in spooks who threaten us if we don't worship them and demand we turn over our destiny and daily lives..." p 27. Kawaida Theory

. Of Christianity and Judaism and their beliefs, Karenga says this about such "myths":

"...it is a simplistic and often erroneous answer to existential ignorance fear, powerlessness and alienation. An example is the Hebrew myth of the six-day creation and the tower of Babel, or Christian myths of resurrection, heaven and hell;"
Kawaida Theory, p 23.

"...it often denies and diminishes human worth, capacity, potential and achievement. In Christian and Jewish mythology, humans are born in sin, cursed with mythical ancestors who've sinned and brought the wrath of an angry God on every generation's head. ... If a mythical being has done, does and will do everything, what's our relevance and role in the world?"
Kawaida Theory. p 24.

Spookism, on the other hand, is intense emotional commitment to non-human-centered principles and practices which place humans at the mercy of invisible and omnipotent forces and thus, deny the right and capacity of humans to shape reality and their future according to their own needs and desires."
Kwanzaa: Origin, Concepts, Practice,pp 44-45.

Temple of Kawaida/Seba

Ron Everett (aka. Maulana Karenga) signs himself (as late as 1999) as the Seba Maulana Karenga of the Temple of Kawaida in a document prepared by him and submitted to the CLUE organization (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) of which he is a member of the Advisory Committee. This document can be found here.

CLUE, by the way, is a leftist organization which fights against welfare work requirements and for a "living wage." They are also an "Endorsing Member" of the Coalition for World Peace - an anti-war organization who is against the current war against the terrorists behind the September 11th attack. They have been involved with several of the anti-war protests. Two people calling themselves a "Seba" of the Temple of Kawaida are listed as a signatories to a letter supporting a piece of pro-African legislation. The letter starts "We are a group of religious leaders..." and the signatures include Pastors and other religious leaders of a number of Los Angeles area churches. The document can be found here. Look for Seba Chimbuko Tembo, Temple of Kawaida, Los Angeles, California and Seba Tulibu Jadi, Temple of Kawaida, Los Angeles, California.

In his own publication called Harrambee Notes, the official publication of his still-operating US gang, he is listed as the Seba Dr. Maulana Karenga of the Temple of Kawaida (Maat). The article reports of Karenga's reading of Karenga-published Selecti ons From The Husia which is subtitled "Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt."

Again, in the same publication (different issue) a scheduled ceremony is listed as being officiated by Here's the schedule entry:

Sunday September 1 3:00pm AKIKA: A Kawaida African Rite of Passage.
The cultural rite of bringing into community, Taraja Jasiri (Audacious Hope), a woman-child of the House of Mshinda and Ajabisha Nyofu.
Officiant: Seba Dr. Maulana Karenga, Temple of Kawaida (Maat)

In a Publisher's Note in a catalog listing for a book penned by Karenga called Kawaida Theory and published by Karenga-owned publisher called The University of Sankore Press, Karenga is listed as "Seba (moral teacher) in the ancient Egyptian Maatian (Kawaida) tradition". Seba is supposedly an ancient African word for "Wisdom". The Official Kwanzaa Website which Karenga owns and operates, makes reference to "the ancient Egyptian Seba Ptahhotep in a 1997 Founder's Annual Kwanzaa Message penned by Karenga.

I'm still exploring the religious aspects of this word, but the evidence here shows that Seba is an honorific given to a religious leader who supposedly possesses wisdom.

What is Maat?

According to Karenga, Maat is the foundation for Kawaida which is the basis for Kwanzaa. So Maat -> Kawaida -> Kwanzaa.

Karenga defines Maat as:

"the fundamental principle of the divine, natural and social order established by Ra (God) at the time of creation Karenga,The Book of Coming Forth By Day, Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press l990, p.23" </blockquote
Maat is an integral part of the Eqyptian Religion as seen here. To quote:

Maat

Maat was the first idea that was separated from
the primeval nonexistence when the world was created. By the idea
of Maat the basic laws for creation and structuring of the universe
was formed.



        "Maat is eternal
      and has not changed since
  the time when she came into being" 

                                            (Ptahotep)

The concept of Maat is the focal point in the philosophy of the
ancient Egyptians. It pervades thinking on all levels of existence:
the cosmological level, the ideology of kingship, the social level
and the individual level. It is too vast a topic to be more than
touched upon briefly here but the concept of Maat is intimately
connected to the oldest of the creation myths; Atum at Heliopolis. 


When Atum had given life to Shu and Tefnut, by his androgynous
powers, the Coffin Texts state him saying: 

         "Tefnut is my living daughter
 and she shall be together with her brother Shu;
              his name is Life and
                her name is Maat."



Without Life and Maat there is no possibility of creation;
movement, dynamics and differentiation must be guided by an
ordering, structuring, regulating principle. Thus Maat is an
integrated part of the Creator god himself.

Pharaoh
The foremost of all priests was Pharaoh. As the son of the god he
was expected to perform the cult ritual every day. This entailed
offering and the foremost of all offerings was Maat:



      "O Re, Lord of Maat
       who lives by Maat
       who rejoices in Maat
       who is complete because of Maat
       who persists because of Maat
       who is praised by Maat
       who is powerful through Maat
       who rules through Maat
       who is crowned by Maat
       who ascends in Maat
       who descends in Maat
       who nourishes on Maat
       who is joined with Maat
       O Re, eternal in deed, perfect in plans
       righteous in heart, who establishes Maat
       in everything which he creates...!

Pharaoh lives by Maat and for Maat. By reciting and offering he is
performing his duty; he represents mankind and personifies Egypt.
He was the ruler by the grace of the gods and as such he had the
task of fighting the disintegrating forces and uphold balance
in society.



As Pharaoh could not be present in every temple of Egypt, there
was instead reliefs depicting him performing these rites, and there
was his deputies - the high priests. Their duty was to see to the
same needs for Egypt as Pharaoh did - the maintaining of good order
in society, thus preserving it for future generations. This task is
done on two levels at the same time, the mundane and the cosmic.
The ritual transcends the mundane level and reaches the realm of
the god. Therefore it might be said that the work of priests
and priestesses was at the same time functional and mystical.



Maat is depicted in a scene taken from The Eqyptian Book of the Dead:

A scene from the the Book of the Dead depicts the Judgement of the Dead. Anubis watches the scales; on the right, Thoth records the results; Amemet, next to Anubis, waits to eat sinful hearts. In the scales are shown the deceased's heart on left, and the feather of Maat on the right. Click here for a larger view.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead was called Chapters of Coming Forth By Day" by the ancient Egyptians. Karenga has done his own afrocentric translation of the Book of the Dead and published it under the name Book of Coming Forth by Day which is categorized as a religious book.
Maat is the basis for Kawaida which is the basis for Kwanzaa
From Official Kwanzaa Website we find that Kawaida and Maat are the basis for Kwanzaa :

Values and value orientation are important, as Kawaida philosophy teaches, because values are categories of commitment, priorities and excellence which indicate and enhance human possibilities. Kwanzaa puts forth seven key values, the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) which offer standards of excellence and models of possibilities and which aid in building and reinforcing family, community and culture: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, Imani.
At the same time Kwanzaa reinforces associated values of truth, justice, propriety, harmony, balance, reciprocity and order embodied in the concept of Maat. In a word, it reminds us to hold to our ancient traditions as a people who are spiritually grounded, who respect our ancestors and elders, cherish and challenge our children, care for the vulnerable, relate rightfully to the environment and always seek and embrace the Good.

So, Karenga shows the link between Maat, Kawaida, and Kwanzaa right on the Official Kwanzaa Website. It is there, right now.
Those who believe in Maat believe that the 42 confessions/admonitions of Maat, found in The Egyptian Book of the Dead are the source of the 10 Commandments received by Moses in 'The Moses Story' (see here and here.) They believe that Moses did not receive the Commandments from God, but lifted them from a black Egyptian.

Underlying Kwanzaa Socialism/Marxism/Leftism
Kawaida, another invention of Ron Everett (aka. Maulana Karenga) is the underlying philosphy to Kwanzaa. Karenga describes Kawaida as "a synthesis of nationalism, pan-Africanism, and socialist thought."
The Official Kwanzaa Website - run by Ron Everett (aka. Maulana Karenga) says this about Kawaida and its relationship to Kwanzaa:

THERE IS NO WAY TO UNDERSTAND and appreciate the meaning and message of Kwanzaa without understanding and appreciating its profound and pervasive concern with values. In fact. Kwanzaa's reason for existence, its length of seven days, its core focus and its foundation are all rooted in its concern with values. Kwanzaa inherits this value concern and focus from Kawaida, the African philosophical framework in which it was created. Kawaida philosophy is a communitarian African philosophy which is an ongoing synthesis of the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world.

Here are a few quotes from Karenga demonstrating Kawaida's underlying socialism/marxism:
Kawaida and its Critics by M. Ron Karenga - Journal of Black Studies, December 1977. Section: Kawaida: Toward A Nationalist-Socialist Synthesis:

Regardless of its critics, Kawaida is, above all, a revolutionary project in process, an audacious and terribly ambitious attempt to synthesize and realize the best of nationalist and socialist thought."
"Kawaida recognizes no pope or Vatican for socialism, accepts no group, state or party's claim to a monopoly on Marxism's or socialism's contribution to human knowledge and practice..."
"Kawaida is critical socialism as opposed to a dogmatic socialism..."
"In an attempt to synthesize the best of nationalist and socialist throught, Kawaida poses and attempts to answer the question of the relationship between national liberation and socialist liberation. Kawaida argues that national liberation and socialist liberation are and are not the same thing at the same time."

Ron McKinley Everett (aka. Maulana Karenga) / US Links
The Black Panthers and the Police: A Pattern of Genocide? - NEW YORKER MAGAZINE - February 13, 1971 (Includes great detail of the murders committed by Karenga's thugs)
PBS Interview with black radical Ron Everett (aka Maulana Karenga) - the guy that invented Kwanzaa 5 years before being sent to prison for torturing two young women
Ron Karenga - Dialog from the Black Radical Congress - December 1999
US, the organization the Ron Everett founded in 1965, the organization that murdered 5 members of the rival Black Panther Party is back Their website is here.
Graphic used on Official Kwanzaa Website for the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa)
Graphic used on Official US Website (US is Karenga's Gang that Murdered Members and Leaders of Rival Gangs) as their logo
In fact, the Official Kwanzaa Website admits the linkage of Kwanzaa to the violent US gang by posting the US Logo right on their Kwanzaa: Roots and Branches page along with the damning admission:

First, Kwanzaa was created to reaffirm and restore our rootedness in African culture. It is, therefore, an expression of recovery and reconstruction of African culture which was being conducted in the general context of the Black Liberation Movement of the '60's and in the specific context of The Organization Us, the founding organization of Kwanzaa and the authoritative keeper of its tradition.

The two members of the US gang who murdered the two Panthers after they dissed Karenga at a Black Studies meeting on the UCLA campus were Larry and George Stiner. Both were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. They escaped in 1974. Larry turned himself in to the FBI in 1994, but George Stiner is still at large. He is on California's 10 Most Wanted list which can be found here. There is also an International Crime Alert on this fugitive who is considered armed and extremely dangerous here.

Afrocentrism Links
Clarence Walker Encourages Black Americans to Discard Afrocentrism
Pride & Prejudice by Dinesh D'Souza, Vol. 6, American Enterprise, 09-01-1995, pp 51 (Google Cached Version)
Fighting Fiction With Fact by Mary Lefkowitz (Google Cached Version)
Fallacies of Afrocentrism - Grover Furr
The Skeptics Dictionary - Afrocentrism
TEACHING REVERSE RACISM A strange doctrine of black superiority is finding its way into schools and colleges
The Skeptics Dictionary Review of Mary Lefkowitz' Book "Not Out Of Africa"
Review of Mary Lefkowitz' Books on Afrocentrism Myth "Not Out Of Africa" and "Black Athena Revisited"
The Trap of Ethnic Identity - New York Times - Jan 1997
AFROCENTRISM The Argument We're Really Having

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