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From: Nowa Omoigui <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 14:24:23 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [Edo-Nation] 1966: The first Kwanzaa

1966 The first Kwanzaa

The first day of the first Kwanzaa was celebrated in
Los Angeles under the direction of Maulana Karenga,
the chair of Black Studies at California State
University at Long Beach. The seven-day holiday, which
has strong African roots, was designed by Dr. Karenga
as a celebration of African American family,
community, and culture.

In 1965, a deadly riot broke out in the predominantly
black Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, leaving 34
people dead, 1,000 injured, and $40 million worth of
property destroyed. Karenga, a former black activist,
was deeply disturbed by the devastation and searched
for a way to overcome the despair he felt had gripped
the African American community in the riot's
aftermath. He founded Us, a black cultural
organization, and looked to Africa in search of
practices and concepts that might empower and unite
the nation's African American community. Inspired by
Africa's harvest celebrations, he decided to develop a
nonreligious holiday that would stress the importance
of family and community while giving African Americans
an opportunity to explore their African identities.

Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest
celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those
of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa. The name
Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase matunda ya kwanza,
which means "first fruits" in Swahili. Each family
celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations
often include songs and dances, African drums,
storytelling, poetry readings, and a large traditional
meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers
and a child lights one of the candles on the kinara,
or candleholder, then one of the seven principles is
discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba, are
values of African culture that contribute to building
and reinforcing community among African Americans.
These values include unity, self-determination,
collective work and responsibility, economic
cooperation, purpose, creativity, and faith. An
African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December
31. Today, Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions people of
African descent all across the United States and
Canada.

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