During this time of year, we spend time with our families celebrating traditions that we follow. We all have heard of Christmas and Hanukkah, but have you ever heard of Kwanzaa?"--Trevor Walton, 7th grade
During this time of year, we spend time with our families celebrating traditions that we follow. We all have heard of Christmas and Hanukkah, but have you ever heard of Kwanzaa?
I’m going to tell you what happens during Kwanzaa, and for starters, it’s not like Christmas. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration that lasts from December 26th to January 1st. According to the History Channel, Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University in Long Beach, California. After the Watts Riots in 1965, Karenga wanted to find a way to have African Americans come together as a community. He then found a way to combine the seven principles of harvest to form a basis called Kwanzaa.
On the Kinara, which is also called “candle holder”, there are seven candles: Three red, three green, and one black. I used to go to a club called AAMA which stands for African American Male Achievement. My teacher told me about the Marcus Garvey flag and how the candles are based on the flag. The red stands for the blood of our bodies, the black stands for the skin that we have, and the green stands for the land where we originated. A candle represents a principle, so the black candle would be Umoja which means “Unity.”
Every night a principle is talked about. But before the principle is talked about, a candle is lit. Kwanzaa can be celebrated in different ways. In my family, before we talk about the principle, everyone goes around and remembers a historical figure or a loved one who passed away, then, drinks water from the cup and says “Ashe.” But before that, one person says “Habari Gani” which translated from Swahili means “What’s the news?” Then, the rest of us respond with the principle we’re doing such as Umoja or Ujima.
The first day of Kwanzaa is Umoja. Umoja means “Unity” and the meaning is to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Whoever was doing Umoja, they would have to find a way to represent it in their own way. For example, if two people were fighting with each other, it’s the person's job to help and try to maintain unity. After that, a person would ask others to talk about Umoja in their own way. When everyone is done saying their thoughts, we blow out the candle and prepare for the next day.
The second day of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia. Kujichagulia means “Self determination” and the meaning is to define, name, create, and speak for ourselves. Like Umoja, the person who is doing Kujichagulia would find a way to represent it in their own way. An example would be that they could write in poem about who they are because they’re defining themselves as a person. After, the person who is leading Kujichagulia will ask anybody to share an example or just talk about Kujichagulia. After, the two lit candles are blown out and then we prepare for the third day of Kwanzaa.
The third day of Kwanzaa is Ujima. According to the History Channel, Ujima means “Collective Work and Responsibility.” The meaning is to build and maintain our community and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together. If a person was leading Ujima, they would say the word in their own way. An example of Ujima would be if someone had an assignment that is due the next day, we would make their problem our problem and help them get their work done. After, the person who is running day three of Kwanzaa would ask others what is their example of Ujima. After we talk about Ujima, we blow out the three lit candles and prepare for the fourth day of Kwanzaa.
The fourth day of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa. Ujamaa means “Cooperative Economics” and the meaning is to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. The person who is leading Ujamaa would show an example of the word in their own way. According to my family, an example of Ujaama would be supporting a black business rather than a white business because we're supporting our brothers and sisters as if they’re our family who are trying to make a living in life. After the person who is leading Ujamaa finishes, other people talk or show examples of how Ujamaa is used and why it is an important principle. After everyone talks, we blow out the four candles and wait for the fifth day of Kwanzaa.
The fifth day of Kwanzaa is Nia. Nia means “Purpose” and it means to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to traditional greatness. According to my dad, Dewayne Walton, the person who is leading Nia could say that a Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical, which means a public speech, is an example of Nia because it’s bringing the community together and we’re all talking about King’s actions and why he wanted to bring everyone together. Another example of Nia are community gardens because they bring people together, giving them a purpose to help homeless people in need. After, the person who is leading Nia asks others for examples of Nia or why it is so important. Then, we blow out the five candles and wait for the sixth day of Kwanzaa.
The sixth day of Kwanzaa is Kuumba. Kuumba means “Creativity” and to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. For example, my mom, Alexsandra Walton, told me about a man named Christopher Gray who needed to pay for college since it’s so expensive. He then had an idea to create an app called Scholly which helps people who can’t afford college get scholarships.This is an example of Kuumba because it provides people who don’t have a lot of money to be able to go to college. After, the person who is leading Kuumba is finished, other people are able to say examples of Kuumba or why Kuumba is so important. Then, we blow out the six candles and wait for the final day of Kwanzaa.
The final day (Seventh day) of Kwanzaa is Imani. Imani means “Faith” and it means to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. It is important because if we didn’t have Imani, that would mean that all the other principles of Kwanzaa wouldn’t work. An example of Imani is if something happened to someone, they would need to have faith that everything is going to be okay. After the person is done talking about Imani, they ask others to say examples of Imani or why it is so important. After people are done talking, we blow out the seven candles and conclude another year of Kwanzaa.
I’m going to tell you what happens during Kwanzaa, and for starters, it’s not like Christmas. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration that lasts from December 26th to January 1st. According to the History Channel, Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University in Long Beach, California. After the Watts Riots in 1965, Karenga wanted to find a way to have African Americans come together as a community. He then found a way to combine the seven principles of harvest to form a basis called Kwanzaa.
On the Kinara, which is also called “candle holder”, there are seven candles: Three red, three green, and one black. I used to go to a club called AAMA which stands for African American Male Achievement. My teacher told me about the Marcus Garvey flag and how the candles are based on the flag. The red stands for the blood of our bodies, the black stands for the skin that we have, and the green stands for the land where we originated. A candle represents a principle, so the black candle would be Umoja which means “Unity.”
Every night a principle is talked about. But before the principle is talked about, a candle is lit. Kwanzaa can be celebrated in different ways. In my family, before we talk about the principle, everyone goes around and remembers a historical figure or a loved one who passed away, then, drinks water from the cup and says “Ashe.” But before that, one person says “Habari Gani” which translated from Swahili means “What’s the news?” Then, the rest of us respond with the principle we’re doing such as Umoja or Ujima.
The first day of Kwanzaa is Umoja. Umoja means “Unity” and the meaning is to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Whoever was doing Umoja, they would have to find a way to represent it in their own way. For example, if two people were fighting with each other, it’s the person's job to help and try to maintain unity. After that, a person would ask others to talk about Umoja in their own way. When everyone is done saying their thoughts, we blow out the candle and prepare for the next day.
The second day of Kwanzaa is Kujichagulia. Kujichagulia means “Self determination” and the meaning is to define, name, create, and speak for ourselves. Like Umoja, the person who is doing Kujichagulia would find a way to represent it in their own way. An example would be that they could write in poem about who they are because they’re defining themselves as a person. After, the person who is leading Kujichagulia will ask anybody to share an example or just talk about Kujichagulia. After, the two lit candles are blown out and then we prepare for the third day of Kwanzaa.
The third day of Kwanzaa is Ujima. According to the History Channel, Ujima means “Collective Work and Responsibility.” The meaning is to build and maintain our community and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together. If a person was leading Ujima, they would say the word in their own way. An example of Ujima would be if someone had an assignment that is due the next day, we would make their problem our problem and help them get their work done. After, the person who is running day three of Kwanzaa would ask others what is their example of Ujima. After we talk about Ujima, we blow out the three lit candles and prepare for the fourth day of Kwanzaa.
The fourth day of Kwanzaa is Ujamaa. Ujamaa means “Cooperative Economics” and the meaning is to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. The person who is leading Ujamaa would show an example of the word in their own way. According to my family, an example of Ujaama would be supporting a black business rather than a white business because we're supporting our brothers and sisters as if they’re our family who are trying to make a living in life. After the person who is leading Ujamaa finishes, other people talk or show examples of how Ujamaa is used and why it is an important principle. After everyone talks, we blow out the four candles and wait for the fifth day of Kwanzaa.
The fifth day of Kwanzaa is Nia. Nia means “Purpose” and it means to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to traditional greatness. According to my dad, Dewayne Walton, the person who is leading Nia could say that a Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical, which means a public speech, is an example of Nia because it’s bringing the community together and we’re all talking about King’s actions and why he wanted to bring everyone together. Another example of Nia are community gardens because they bring people together, giving them a purpose to help homeless people in need. After, the person who is leading Nia asks others for examples of Nia or why it is so important. Then, we blow out the five candles and wait for the sixth day of Kwanzaa.
The sixth day of Kwanzaa is Kuumba. Kuumba means “Creativity” and to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. For example, my mom, Alexsandra Walton, told me about a man named Christopher Gray who needed to pay for college since it’s so expensive. He then had an idea to create an app called Scholly which helps people who can’t afford college get scholarships.This is an example of Kuumba because it provides people who don’t have a lot of money to be able to go to college. After, the person who is leading Kuumba is finished, other people are able to say examples of Kuumba or why Kuumba is so important. Then, we blow out the six candles and wait for the final day of Kwanzaa.
The final day (Seventh day) of Kwanzaa is Imani. Imani means “Faith” and it means to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. It is important because if we didn’t have Imani, that would mean that all the other principles of Kwanzaa wouldn’t work. An example of Imani is if something happened to someone, they would need to have faith that everything is going to be okay. After the person is done talking about Imani, they ask others to say examples of Imani or why it is so important. After people are done talking, we blow out the seven candles and conclude another year of Kwanzaa.
