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| Unity Family Tradition |
Every festival begins sometime. | |||||
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Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in the African language Kiswahili, was begun in 1966, and has come to be observed by more than 18 million people worldwide. When he established Kwanzaa in 1966, Dr. Maulana Karenga added an additional "a" to the spelling to reflect the difference between the African American celebration (Kwanzaa) and the African Motherland spelling (Kwanza). Kwanzaa focuses on the traditional African values of family, community, responsibility, commerce, and self improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious, and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of re-affirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture. Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. |
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| Umoja (oo-mo-jah) | Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, "I am We," or "I am because We are." | |||||
| Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-lee-yah) | Self-determination. Requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community. | |||||
| Ujima (oo-gee-mah) | Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and we have a role to play in the community, society and world. | |||||
| Ujamaa (oo-jah-mah) | Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support. | |||||
| Nia (nee-yah) | Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community. | |||||
| Kuumba (koo-oom-bah) |
Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community. | |||||
| Imani (ee-mah-nee) | Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle. | |||||
| The Daily Progress, November 30, 2001 Downtown for the Holidays insert | ||||||
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