Kwanzaa honors unity, pride, and African traditions from December 26 to January 1. This celebration brings people together by sharing stories, lighting candles, and community. Naaja Rodgers, Professor of Africana studies at Dickinson College says Kwanzaa is a Kiswahili word.


“So it's actually a Kiswahili word, which means maternal, your Kwanzaa, which means first fruits. So essentially Kwanzaa means first fruit. And these are typically celebrations that are held throughout Africa.”


Kwanza was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga. He was a part of a cultural nationalist group that promoted African culture.


“The Watts riots in Los Angeles and just the racial tensions going on during the Black Power movement inspired him to think about what we can do to kind of help African people as a collective Pan-African. Keep that theme intact. How can we ensure that black people are able to reason to remember and prepare for the new Year as opposed to just like the commercialization of Christmas where it's like a hustle and bustle, you're shopping and then you give a gift and then you go on to the new year.”


There are seven principles of Kwanzaa:


• Umoja (Unity)

• Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

• Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility

• Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

• Nia (Purpose)

• Kuumba (Creativity)

• Imani (Faith)


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