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How Do You Celebrate Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa: The Unity Way! Written by Rev. Anyanwu Cox, Holy Spirit Healing Ministry, Kansas City, MO for A Time of Family This chapter appears in A Time of Family Volume 1 Item # 6796 $13.95 Another resource from your Association of Unity Churches Copyright Association of Unity Churches Member ministries may download and print one copy. Thank you for your cooperation. 13 WORSHIP AND CELEBRATION KWANZAA: THE UNITY WAY! An African American Celebration of Family, Community and Culture Rev. Nora Cox, M.Ed., Holy Spirit Healing Ministry, Kansas City, MO AN INVITATION “As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Proverbs 25:25 Habari Gani? (Hah-BAH-ree GAH-nee) or “What’s the good news?” The good news . is that you and your ministry family are invited to celebrate diversity by incorporating KWANZAA—an African American celebration—into your yearly special events calendar. The good news . is that Kwanzaa affords you a wonderful opportunity for spiritual communion and community out-reach. As a celebration, Kwanzaa is festive, educational, inspirational, healing, and just plain fun! The good news . is that Kwanzaa is a great way for your church family to experience a dynamic African American celebration that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, races, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. The good news . is that Kwanzaa beautifully reflects Unity principles and is therefore, a perfect celebration to be hosted by a Unity Church. In fact, the first of seven Kwanzaa principles is UMOJA which means UNITY. The good news . is that everything you need to know about creating a Kwanzaa celebration is contained in the following pages, including: • About Kwanzaa • A Sample Order of Service • How to Plan a Kwanzaa Celebration • The Karamu (feast) Menu • Resources for Creating Kwanzaa • Kwanzaa Glossary • Bibliography 14 ABOUT KWANZAA What is Kwanzaa? Ending in one “a” and pronounced Kwahn-zah, it means “first.” The complete phrase from which the name is “Kwanzaa is a wonderful derived is “Matunda Ya Kwanza” and refers to “the first way for all churches and fruits” festivals which occurred throughout Africa since spiritual centers to honor the early days of Nubia and Kemet (Egypt). These first diversity. It is a rich and fruits festivals, also known as Agricultural or Harvest noble celebration whose Celebrations, continue today in Africa. purpose is to renew and reaffirm our commitment In 1966, after years of research of these festivals and to positive values.” Duke Tufty, Senior other African practices, Dr. Maulana Karenga initiated Minister; Karen Bradley, an African American holiday based on these practices. Associate Minister, Unity The Holiday was named Kwanzaa with an extra “a” to Temple on the Plaza reinforce the symbolism of “seven” in the ceremonies, i.e. seven days, seven candles, seven principles, seven harambee (a call to Unity). Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 through January 1 of each year. This time of the year was selected because it corresponds with the seven day harvest celebration by the Zulu nation. However, the principles of Kwanzaa are relevant throughout the year. Who is Dr. Maulana “Ron” Karenga? Dr. Karenga is the initiator and creator of Kwanzaa. He Books by Dr. Karenga: is a professor and chair of Black Studies at the California State University at Long Beach and is the • Introduction to Black executive director of the Institute of Pan-African Studies Studies. As an activist/scholar who has received • Selections for the Husia: national and international recognition, his lecture tours Sacred Wisdom of have taken him to major campuses in the United States, Ancient Egypt Africa, Cuba and the Peoples Republic of China. • The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture 14 Why was Kwanzaa created? Dr. Karenga believed that two basic groups of African people exist. The first group are Continental Africans, which refers to Africans on the continent, and the second group are the African Diaspora, referring to Africans living away from the continent. He observed that many Africans in the second group were stripped of their language, values, principles, and cultural and spiritual practices when taken from Africa. It “If you know the beginning was Dr. Karenga’s belief and that of many black scholars well, the end will not trouble that reawakening to the positive African core values, you.” practices and history would serve to raise self-esteem, African Proverb self-worth and the internal power quotient in the collective consciousness of the African Diaspora. This in turn would strengthen the African element of the critical mass which is necessary to raise the Planetary Consciousness. “I write ‘for ourselves and These black scholars understood that positive changes history’, for the record, for had to come from within. So Dr. Karenga created our people and the Kwanzaa to stimulate “Kugichagulia” or self-determination contributions this will make in African and African American people. This is the to their deeper appreciation second principle of Kwanzaa and is achieved by an of the rich cultural legacy of individual and/or group speaking, defining and creating for African thought and themselves. This principle requires African Americans to practice, especially its communitarian forms.” assume leadership and responsibility for changing their Dr. Maulana Karenga present state, creating a brighter future and reclaiming the best of what has come before. According to Dr. Karenga, Kwanzaa, its practices and principles, were designed to move people of African descent to a point where they can once again “self- consciously contribute to the forward flow of human history.” However, the spiritual essence that permeates Kwanzaa ceremony and celebration is ancient and has proven time and time again to positively impact people of all ages, races, ethnic and socio-economic groups. All Kwanzaa requires is an appreciation of the value of diversity in its authentic forms combined with appropriate leadership and direction. Then relax and enjoy a truly wonderful experience. 15 Why celebrate Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa offers a well-researched, well-documented, systematic and scholarly work which can provide groups “Everyday is a donation to with an effective means of honoring diversity. Because of eternity and even one hour the devastation of slavery on the African diaspora, is a contribution to the Kwanzaa is presently the only holiday of this magnitude future.” Retranslated by celebrated by black people “for the upliftment” of black Dr. Maulana Karenga people. Over the last 30 years it has stimulated the From: The Book of Kheti; interest of millions of African Diaspora in the United The Husia States, the Caribbeans and Africa. It has also been reported to be a soul-stirring experience for other ethnic groups who attend. Although Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, it is a deeply spiritual celebration offering a rich array of rituals and ceremony that creates a bond for all. Who celebrates Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa may be celebrated by all people, regardless of Note: Groups interested in race, sex, age or ethnic background. However, since hosting a Kwanzaa Kwanzaa was created to stimulate “Kugichagulia” or self- Celebration may contact: determination in African people, people of African descent Rev. Nora “Anyanwu” Cox should lead, facilitate and participate in the celebration M.Ed., Holy Spirit Healing service. (This may be achieved by outreach into the Ministry community, collaboration and/or outside speakers.) 9828 Willow, Apt. 4C Kansas City, MO 64134 A Simple Rule of Thumb: • Rev. Cox has participated Hosting Kwanzaa: anyone with an appreciation of in and studied Kwanzaa in diversity diverse settings. She offers: • Attendance: anyone with an appreciation of diversity • Consultation • Participation: anyone with an appreciation and • Facilitation and sensitivity for diversity related to people of African leadership descent • Answers to additional • Leadership/Facilitation: person or persons whose questions ethnic background is African • Information on conducting • Libation ritual: person whose ethnic background is a Kwanzaa workshop African Simply put: Kwanzaa calls for Unity in diversity. 16 NGUZO SABA SCRIPTURES (THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES) REFLECTING THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES Kwanzaa is based on the following principles which are reflected in many aspects of the celebration service and 1. Umoja/Unity: planning. One Principle is celebrated each day Acts 2:46; Romans consecutively from December 26 through January 1. 14:19; I John 4:7 1. UMOJA (Unity) 2. Kugichagulia/Self- To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, determination: nation and race. Genesis 1:26; Ruth 2. KUJICHAGULIA (Self-determination) 1:16; II Kings 20:1-6; To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves Esther 4:16 and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for and spoken for by others. 3. Ujima-Collective Work and 3. UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility) Responsibility: John To build and maintain our community together and make 5:2-9; our sisters’ and brothers’ problems our problems and to I Corinthians 12:13,14, solve them together. 18-26 4. UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics) 4. Ujamaa-Cooperative To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other Economics: businesses and to profit from them together. Genesis 45:18; 5. NIA (Purpose) Malachi 3:10, Hebrews To make our collective vocation the building and 7:5 developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. 5. Nia-Purpose: Isaiah 49:1,3; 6. KUUMBA (Creativity) Jeremiah 1:4,5,9; To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in Exodus 4:15,16 order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. 6. Kuumba-Creativity: I Kings 17:10-16; Job 7. IMANI (Faith) 22:28; John 1:1,14; To believe with all of our heart in our people, our parents, John 2:1-10 our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
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