The Nguzo Saba (also called the Seven Principles) refers to the set of guiding principles created by Karenga and the US Organization. But the primary reason for the holiday being seven days is to honor the Nguzo Saba, which are the seven principles of Kwanzaa. The official Kwanzaa website explains that Kwanzaa is modeled on African first fruits celebrations, like Umkhosi of Zululand, which has seven days. The additional "a" at the end of the word was added because there were seven children involved in US Organization, and each one of them wanted to represent a letter in the name, according to the official Kwanzaa website. He chose the word "kwanza" from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza." Matunda means "fruits" and ya kwanza means "first." He also capitalized the "K" in Kwanzaa, then added another "a," which made it into "Kwanzaa." Mayes, Karenga was inspired by the cultural traditions of African harvest celebrations. In addition to celebrating the Nguzo Saba, the holiday was also initially founded to " give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday (Christmas) and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society." Where did the name come from?Īccording to the book, Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition by Keith A. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in the 1960s Robert Abbott Sengstacke // Getty Images
The US Organization website explains "on the national level, we created Kwanzaa and introduced the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles, a critical value system for rescuing and reconstructing our lives as a people."
He, along with activist Hakim Jamal, founded an African-American community movement in 1965 called US Organization (sometimes referred to as Organization Us.) According to the website, the aim of US Organization is to "provide a philosophy, a set of principles and a program which inspires a personal and social practice that not only satisfies human need but transforms people in the process." The set of principles is called the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles), and these principles are ultimately what Kwanzaa celebrates. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies as well as an activist and author. Kwanzaa, which takes place every year from December 26 to January 1, was created 54 years ago by Dr. Here's what you should know about Kwanzaa, from it's origin story to it's modern-day celebrations. But this year, as Black Americans continue to lead movements calling for racial justice and equality following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, learning more about African-American culture is something that everyone can - and should - be doing.] Honoring culture, including the history of Kwanza, has always been important.
0 kommentar(er)
