Celebrating Kwanzaa: 'Best we have to offer'
By Mary Anderson
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
ASHEBORO - Kwanzaa, a celebration of family, community and culture, has
its origins in the first harvest celebrations of Africa and is recorded
in African history as far back as ancient Egypt.
Since the holiday was proposed in 1966, more and more African Americans
have adopted the holiday that is celebrated by million of Africans throughout
the world.
The Kwanzaa celebration in Randolph County began with Umoja (Unity Day)
on Dec. 26 with a program coordinated by Hollis Glover at Oakland Missionary
Baptist Church in Ramseur. Each day has a principle for meditation and discussion
with gatherings on the first and sixth days and gift giving on the seventh
day.
Ahmad Daniels, an educator and the owner of Creative Interchange in Charlotte,
spoke at the sixth day Karamu Feast in the Randolph Mall Community Room
on Friday.
"The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase 'matunda ya kwanza,'
which means 'first fruits' and has its origins in the harvest celebration,"
explained Rashidi Zaliki of Asheboro. Zaliki, one of the organizers, surveyed
the feast, which included turkey, corn, peas and other vegetables as well
as desserts.
Daniels was introduced by Meltonia Lindiwe Young of Seagrove. Others
involved in introducing Kwanzaa to Randolph County were Lyz Almodova and
Brenda Alston.
The turnout at the feast was small, less than two dozen people, but that
did not discourage the organizers nor Daniels. When Daniels brought Kwanzaa
to Charlotte from New York, about 30 people attended the first service in
a small book store. This year, Daniels said, over 1,000 people were at the
opening night celebration.
The holiday, which is celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, was adapted
and introduced in America in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at
California State University. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s,
Karenga's mission was to preserve, continually revitalize and promote African
American culture.
"Culture is very important. You either live in your own culture
or you live in someone else's," Daniels told the group in Asheboro.
"Culture is more than dress, food and clothing. Culture is the totality
of thought and practice."
Just as other cultures celebrate their ancestral roots with events such
as Highland Games, Cinco de Mayo and Native American festivals, Kwanzaa
has earned recognition as the celebration of ancestral roots in Africa.
"Kwanzaa is a non-religious, non-heroic holiday. It is not a black
holiday," said Daniels. "While we recognize and honor our ancestors,
Kwanzaa is the time to focus on ourselves, to look at issues that affect
us and see the need for us to help ourselves and then to help others. It
is the time to concentrate on the best we have to offer."
The seven candles, three red, three green and one black, are significant,
Daniels explained. Black is for unity, red represents struggle and green
represents future generations.
"Black people will always struggle and sacrifice for future generations,"
he said. "Each generation has to fulfill its heritage or betray it."
Unity is the first of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: In order for families
and communities to be productive and survive, they must work together in
unity. This is the day participants pledge to strive for and maintain unity
in family, community, nation and with all people.
The next four days are times of family discussions and meditation on
the principle for each day.
* Kujichagulia (self determination): The principle is "to define
ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves."
* Ujima (collective work and responsibility): "We pledge to build
and maintain our community together and help our people solve problems by
working together."
* Ujamaa (cooperative economics): "We pledge to develop our own
businesses and to support them, to maintain shops, stores and industry that
contribute to the well-being of our community."
* Nia (purpose): "We pledge to build and develop our communities,
our schools and our families. This will provide a strong communal foundation
from which our children can develop into strong and productive people."
* Kuumba (creativity), the sixth of seven principles for meditation and
celebration during Kwanzaa, was the focus of Daniels' talk.
"We pledge to do whatever as much as we can, in the way we can,
to make our communities and homes more beautiful than we found them. We
also pledge to use our creative talents and energies to improve young minds
and hearts."
* Imani (faith): New Year's Day, the seventh day of Kwanzaa, celebrates
the beginning of a new year with the pledge to "believe in our people,
our parents, our good and dedicated teachers and leaders, and in the greater
good of the work we do with and for one another, for the community and for
the people. "
Imani is also celebrated with gift-giving. A book is mandatory. Other
gifts may be as lavish as the giver desires, Daniels said, but they are
not like Christmas or birthday presents. Kwanzaa gifts are earned, based
on promises made and promises kept, especially for children.
Daniels said the symbols of Kwanzaa, such as the candles, the straw mat,
water, soil and corn, are to remind African Americans of their history.
"We know who we are when we know where we came from and Africa is
where our roots are," he said. "We must raise our (self) images
to bear witness to our greatness."
Copyright 2002, Stephens Media Group
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