History Of Kwanzaa | African American Dance Ensemble

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American and Pan-African culture, celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.

Creation and Purpose: Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies

at California State University, Long Beach, during the Black Freedom Movement. Karenga aimed to establish

a holiday specifically for African Americans to celebrate their history and culture, separate from Christmas.

Origin of the Name: The name "Kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza,meaning

"first fruits," reflecting the holiday's inspiration in African harvest celebrations.

Roots in African Harvest Festivals: Kwanzaa draws inspiration from various ancient and modern African "first fruit" celebrations, including those of the Ashanti and Zulu people. The holiday is built around five fundamental activities found in these celebrations: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES

THE NGUZO SABA

Nguzo Saba is a set of ideals created to contribute to building and reinforcing community

UNITY: UMOJA (OO-MO-JAH) - To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
SELF-DETERMINATION: KUJICHAGULIA (KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-YAH) - To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBLITY: UJIMA (OO-GEE-MAH) - To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.
COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS: UJAMA (OO-JAH-MAH) - To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
PURPOSE: NIA (NEE-YAH) - To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
CREATIVITY: KUUMBA (KOO-OOM-BAH) - 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.
FAITH: IMANI (EE-MAH-NEE) - To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.