Now that the Christmas rush has settled, Kwanzaa is here to help us reflect and embrace our culture.
A solid grand closing to the year, the weeklong cultural celebration is intended to bring Black people together and think about the values that can keep us moving forward in a world that consistently attempts to set us back. Think New Year’s resolutions, but for a whole community.
Starting on December 26, Kwanzaa centers on embracing a different principle (the Nguzo Saba) for seven consecutive days until January 1. The first day, Umoja, means unity in Swahili.
If it’s your first time celebrating Kwanzaa or your 50th, here are ways you can join this tradition.
The centerpiece is the kinara, or candle holder holding seven handles, with a candle lit on each day of the celebration. The purpose is to have conversation and reflection around each of the symbols and items with loved ones, which connect us to our African heritage. You can read more about the items needed on the official Kwanzaa website.
Karenga started Kwanzaa after the Watts uprisings in the 1960s. Black people have often felt frustrated with our conditions; Kwanzaa was a way to be more proactive instead of reactive about them.
There has been no progress for Black people throughout the globe without collective organizing and mass movements. Working in the community is a small way to practice that idea of collectivism.
