Kwanzaa celebration set to kick off

19th December 2011   ·   0 Comments

The New Orleans Kwanzaa Coalition recently announced a series of events and activities designed to celebrate and commemorate the spirit of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday that embraces African-centered principles and values.

Maulana Karenga of the US Org­anization created Kwanzaa in 1966 as the first specifically African-American holiday. Karenga, an Afrocentric scholar, said his goal was to “give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society.” The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits of the harvest.” The choice of Swahili, an East African language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially in the 1960s.

Kwanzaa is a celebration that has its roots in the Black nationalist movement of the 1960s, and was established as a means to help Black Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage by uniting in meditation and study of African traditions and Nguzu Saba, the “seven principles of African Heritage” which Karenga said “is a communitarian African philosophy.”

During the early years of Kwan­zaa, Karenga said that it was meant to be an alternative to Christmas. However, as Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so that practicing Christians would not be alienated, then stating in the 1997 Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, “Kwan­zaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday.”

Many Black Christians who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas.

In 2009, Maya Angelou narrated the award-winning documentary The Black Candle, the first film about Kwanzaa.

The complete list of Kwanzaa activities follows:

• December 26, 2011 ~ UMOJA (Unity)
Kuumba Institute Kwanzaa Camp @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 8:30 a.m., – 3:30 p.m.
Citywide Candlelighting @ African American Museum (1418 Governor Nicholls St.)

• December 27, 2011 ~ KUJI­CHAGULIA (Self-Determination)
Kuumba Institute Kwanzaa Camp @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Lunchtime Candlelighting @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
NOABSW & Community Book Center @ Community Book Center (223 Bayou Rd) 7:00 p.m.

• December 28, 2011 ~ UJIMA (Collective Work and Respon­sibility)
Kuumba Institute Kwanzaa Camp @ Ashé Cutlural Arts Center 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Lunchtime Candlelighting @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
African American Leadership Project @ Watson Memorial Ministries (4400 St. Charles) 6:00 p.m.

• December 29, 2011 ~ UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics)
Kuumba Institute Kwanzaa Camp @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Lunchtime Candlelighting @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Black Pages New Orleans @ Christian Unity Church, (1700 Conti) 7:00 p.m.

• December 30, 2011 ~ NIA (Purpose)
Kuumba Institute Kwanzaa Camp @ Ashe’ 8:30am – 3:30 p.m.
Lunchtime Candlelighting @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Umoja Committee & Kuumba Institute Children’s Kwanzaa @ Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

• December 31, 2011 ~ KUUMBA (Creativity)
The Wiz of Hip-Hop” @ 6717 Foch Rd. – 6:00 p.m.

• January 1, 2012 ~ IMAM (Faith)
Nation of Islam @ Mosque #46 (4201 Downman Road).

The New Orleans Kwanzaa Coalition consists of the African American Leadership Project, Algiers Cultural Consor­tium/Craig Cultural Center,, Ashé Cultural Center, Christian Unity Baptist Church, Community Book Center, Faces of Culture/Allison Montana Institute of Art, Culture & Tradition, Fourth World Move­ment, Kuumba Academy, Kuumba Institute/Ashé Cultural Center, Nation of Islam, New Orleans African American Mu­seum, New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers, Tekrema Center for Arts & Culture and Umoja.

The New Orleans Kwanzaa Co­alition said it acknowledges and supports all organizations in the community celebrating Kwanzaa.

For more Information about Kwanzaa activities, contact Community Book Center at (504) 948-7323.

This article was originally published in the December 19, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper