THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
December 21, 2023 - December 27, 2023 • 19
Kwanzaa is growing in popularity By KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff Kwanzaa celebrations have steadily become the norm over the past few years, with events growing in popularity throughout the tri-state region, across the country, and around the world. The seven-day commemoration of the Nguzo Saba—each day heralds an important African principle—brings celebrants together so they can salute each other in Swahili (an African language spoken in more than 14 of the continent’s countries) and recognize the value of their cultural traditions. “Habari Gani?” or “How are you: what is the news?” is the greeting that starts Kwanzaa every day between December 26 and January 1. Over the subsequent seven days, responses to that question are based on understanding and finding ways to enact Kwanzaa’s seven principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (SelfDetermination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith) are each acknowledged with an offering of libations, lighting candles, eating and sharing food, reading poetry, sharing music and dance, and having people talk to and commune with each other. Kwanzaa encourages Black people to take the time to reflect on themselves and their role within the African diasporic community. Dr. Maulana Karenga, chair of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach, designed Kwanzaa as an African American cultural holiday in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Uprising in Los Angeles. Kwanzaa was celebrated for the first time on December 26, 1966. This past December 4, 2023, Karenga described the ideology behind Kwanzaa on the Institute of the Black World 21st Century’s “Vantage Point” radio broadcast. He talked about inviting members of his Black nationalist US (United Slaves) Organization to his home and asking them to help organize around the seven principles. “I’d already created the seven principles. I called these people together and I said, ‘We have to answer…Malcolm’s call to continue the struggle…to keep the faith and hold the line,’ so we built this organization…taking the vanguard attitude about the party. “Usually there is a vanguard organization that either turns into a mass party or creates a…mass movement that leads to the revolution. I just thought that we shouldn’t try to create a mass movement now. What we needed to do is programmatically influence organizations, help them build themselves, and step back.” Your ancestors guide you to live by the seven principles Even though Kwanzaa is not a religious celebration, it was undeniably influenced
by the fact that Black people are traditionally very spiritual, Karenga said. That religious trait, and his growing respect for the political and spiritual impact of the philosophies of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam, were very instructive. “We’re very spiritual: Black people would say we’re very spiritual, we’re a spiritual people,” Karenga told “Vantage Point” host Dr. Ron Daniels. “I stayed away from that for a while because I didn’t want…to create a religion. I didn’t want to get religious, but I had to deal with it. As you know, [my] position [is] that Black is our ultimate reality, and from that, I do Liberation theology.” Karenga added that when he traveled to St. Louis to attend a convention of the National Council of Negro Clergymen, he asked them why they were still calling themselves “negro,” and how they could worship a white god they had no relation to. He told them that “if we have a God, it’s three things: One, he has to be in our own image. Second, he has to have a historical basis with us and walk with us and work with us and fight with us. And he has to be in our own interest. “So, what does [a white god] do for you? How, over time, does he serve your interest?” Karenga said his creation of Kwanzaa was designed with those thoughts in mind. It was initially only celebrated among U.S.based Pan-Africanist organizations, but the reach of the holiday has expanded and grown internationally. Kwanzaa is now a regular end-of-the-year celebration in schools, community centers, and various cities. The greeting card company Hallmark has a special line of Kwanzaa cards and the U.S. Postal Service has been printing Kwanzaa postage stamps since 1997, when it printed its first commissioned Kwanzaa painting created by the artist Synthia Saint James. Internationally, the National Association of Black Supplementary Schools (NABSS) and T.A.P. Project help organize Kwanzaa celebrations in the United Kingdom. Brazil’s University of São Paulo’s Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA) just held a Kwanzaa-Writing Festival this past December 13 through 15, which had participants look at the contributions Black Brazilians have made to their country. Groups in Spain, the Bahamas, Kenya, Zimbabwe, France, Jamaica, and Canada organize yearly Kwanzaa events. Kwanzaa festivities culminate with participants drinking from a unity cup (kikombe cha umoja) and honoring their ancestors at the Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Faith), where special dishes celebrating Africa’s diasporic cultures are served. That act of unity comes just before lighting the final candle on the seventh and final day of Kwanzaa, which celebrates Imani and the concept of Black healing worldwide.
Kwanzaa WHERE UNITY
MEETS PROSPERITY Step into the Kwanzaa celebration where unity dances hand in hand with prosperity. It’s a time for celebrating possibility, igniting community bonds and ushering in new economic opportunity in Coney Island.
Ya n k e e s
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20 • December 21, 2023 - December 27, 2023
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Kwanzaa: a Regeneration Celebration at the Apollo Kwanzaa selections from the Apollo Theater Foundation (Shahar Azran via The Apollo photos)
By ARIAMA C. LONG Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member The Apollo’s Historic Theater in Harlem (253 West 125th Street) is celebrating its decades-old Kwanzaa tradition this year with live performances featuring Grammy-nominated singer and spoken word artist MC Mumu Fresh. “The Apollo is extremely committed to Harlem and the community that we operate out of,” said the Apollo’s Senior Director of Programming Leatrice Ellzy. “Kwanzaa is a program that’s been happening [here] since 2006, so
it really is a legacy, and we started doing Kwanzaa on its 40th anniversary.” Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. It’s held from December 26 to January 1 annually. It invites Black Americans, and any other participants, to reflect on the seven basic principles—Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith)— over the course of seven days. Despite Kwanzaa not being commercial or widely celebrated at times, Ellzy said that the Apollo is dedicated to holding space for this piece of Black culture. “My father used to say it’s important to maintain ties because the further you get away from the tree, [the] more difficult [it is] to maintain those traditions, those things that bind us,” Ellzy said. Abdel R. Salaam of Forces of Nature, the artistic director, choreographer, and creative force behind the show and a true lover of the arts, is excited to blend modern, West African, house, and hip-hop dance styles that encapsulate the Black experience and the true principles of Kwanzaa. Salaam has co-produced the show for the past 17 years. “We are a group of people [who] have roots, legacies, and traditions that come from the continent of Africa and the diaspora—the middle passage—and even before that,” said Salaam. The celebration is on Saturday, December 30, with a matinee and evening show. Tickets, starting at $25, are on sale now at www.ApolloTheater.org and in person at the Apollo Theater Box Office. Harlem residents, employees, business owners, and students can save 50% on tickets through Apollo’s Half Off for Harlem program at www.ApolloTheater.org/half-off-for-harlem. Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member who writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
December 21, 2023 - December 27, 2023 • 21
Harlem gift store NiLu rolls out the red, black, and green carpet for Kwanzaa this year By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member If Christmas is in Hollis, then Kwanzaa is in Harlem, and local uptown stores like NiLu are prepping for the seven-day pan-Afrikan holiday. After all, the fourth day observes the principle of Ujamaa, or cooperative economics. This past Tuesday, Dec. 19, NiLu owner Katrina Parris braced herself for a shipment of Kwanzaa goods. A delivery man navigated the small storefront, zigzagging a standing dolly stacked with boxes between shelves of precious Black-made gifts while shopping for both Kwanzaa and Christmas was in full swing. Parris said her store’s Kwanzaa stock will continue to grow as the holiday’s first day, December 26, approaches. She showed off her current, already impressive collection of gifts and goods. There are candles and cards and, of course, kinaras, which Parris is especially proud of. She said they’re handmade from real wood and had to be shipped around Thanksgiving to make it to her store in time. And while Christmas might require a spruce or fir tree, Kwanzaa is the actual evergreen holiday.
NiLu storefront in Harlem.
Kwanzaa supplies at NiLu. (Tandu Lau photos)
“I think that…it’s a concept in which those principles are all year-round,” said Parris. “But…it’s nice to be reminded of them at the end of the year.” She finds those principles in all her goods, not just the Kwanzaa-specific ones. Parris
pointed to an intricately sewn throw pillow with Harlem landmarks stitched into the design, representing Umoja, or unity. She pointed to Black-made journals: Kujichagulia, or self-determination. As for creativity, Parris gestured across the shop.
Parris opened the doors of NiLu (191 Malcolm X Blvd., New York, NY 10026) in 2015, after she felt there weren’t enough platforms in Harlem for makers of color. The shop houses the crafts and creations of Black- and women-owned businesses that otherwise would not have a brickand-mortar location for their goods. Parris named the store after her sons Nigel and Luke, and said it’s a natural progression from her last business—selling flowers. “The same people who want to send a bouquet for a wonderful evening are the same people who appreciate a letterpress [card or piece of art],” she said. “[They’re] really intentional about how they give and who they support, and why they shop. NiLu was created. We live in the community. We’ve been here. These are all the things that I want in the community and I can’t be the only one.” Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
HBCU professors explain Kwanzaa celebrations By TANDY LAU Amsterdam News Staff, Report for America Corps Member Seven days, many ways to celebrate Kwanzaa this month for Howard University’s Scot Brown, associate professor of history and author of “Fighting for US: Maulana Karenga, The US Organization and Black Cultural Nationalism,” a book about Kwanzaa’s founder, Dr. Karenga. “There isn’t a rulebook, but there are rules,” said Brown. “Symbols mean what they mean, but you might have different activities for people to participate in [ranging from] poetry [to] music [to] communal dancing. There’s all kinds of things that build on the improvisational character of Afrikan American and Afrikan world cultures.” Huberta Jackson-Lowman, Florida A&M University (FAMU) professor emerita of psychology, said observing Kwanzaa involves a year-long reflection and brings families to the same room. “It's a time [when] we come together, to remember [and] to celebrate the good that we have done and are doing in our community,” said Jackson-Lowman. “And we participate in rituals around the seven principles that are associated with Kwanzaa over the seven-day period [beginning] on December 26 and [concluding] on January 1.” The retired educator broke down the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Umoja: “The first day, December 26, focuses on the principle of Umoja, which is unity, and paying homage to bringing our family and our community together.” Kujichagulia: “Second day, we celebrate Kujichagulia and that is defined as self-determination, which means that we want to encourage our people to define themselves, to not be defined by others, to name themselves, to speak for themselves, and to create for themselves.” Ujima: “On the third day, we celebrate with Ujima and that means ‘collective work and responsibility’...focusing on the idea that we should share our problems, the problems of our brothers and sisters, and help each other to solve them.” Ujamaa: “On day four, we celebrate Ujamaa, which is cooperative economics, and here we’re talking about supporting our businesses, creating businesses, and building ourselves up at the economic level.” Nia: “On day five, we focus on Nia and that means purpose, and we remind ourselves of our traditional greatness and what it is that we see as the contributions that we have made as people of Afrikan ancestry.” Kuumba: “Then on day six, which is December 31…we’re celebrating Kuumba, which is creativity, and creativity in all of its forms, and what it suggests here is that whatever we do, we should leave our community better
than the way we found it.” Imani: “The final day is January 1—New Year’s Day—and that day we’re celebrating Imani, which means faith; faith in ourselves and our ancestors and our elders and their guidance toward us.” Brown said these principles come center stage when he’s back home celebrating Kwanzaa. “When I am around family members, we [light] the candle together, commemorate the principles, and [think] about the deep things around [the seven principles of Kwanzaa],” he said. Given Kwanzaa’s deep pan-Afrikan customs, it’s easy to forget the holiday’s relatively young age and largely American observance. After all, the 1966 founding is a year after Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence were born. Jackson-Lowman pushed back on narratives attempting to delegitimize the holiday due to its recency. “Sometimes people say, well, Kwanzaa is a made-up holiday and to that, I would just suggest that people appreciate the fact that we create those things that we need for our healing for upliftment,” said Jackson-Lowman. “We made many holidays—Fourth of July, that was made by this country…we have to take the initiative as people of Afrikan ancestry to create the things that we need to help us to move forward in terms of manifesting our highest potential, facilitating our liberation as
people of Afrikan ancestry. “Because we still are dealing with being oppressed and marginalized as a group of people, Kwanzaa is one of those celebrations, one of those rituals, that can enable us to build community and help us begin to deal with the challenges that we face on a day-to-day basis with the anti-Black racism that is still very much enforced through this country.” Brown expressed excitement about Kwanzaa’s global future, thanks to modern technology. “There’s an energy around having exchange and shared inspirations, so that grows and continues to grow,” he said. “And right now, we’re in this beautiful moment where even our physical distance from one another across the Afrikan world doesn’t stop us from being able to share and celebrate together, so I’m seeing Kwanzaa celebrations that are done on Zoom. “We’re at a point now [where] the future is extremely ripe with possibilities, because new technologies are making us closer and closer to one another, and the traditional barriers to collaboration and cooperation are slowly coming down.” Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
22 • December 21, 2023 - December 27, 2023
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Abyssinian Baptist Church, AKAs hold holiday pop-up It was a festive day of holiday excitement with scores of community residents shopping and purchasing toys, home-style food and desserts, creative clothing, beauty products, jewelry, and more offered by entrepreneurs at the Black Wall Street Vendor Pop-Up. There was something there for everyone at the event on Saturday, organized by the Building Our Economic Wealth (BOEW) committee of the Eta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority Incorporated,® based in the Bronx. The Black Wall Street event, which is traditionally held during the winter holiday season, is co-hosted at Abyssinian Baptist Church, Harlem, in collaboration with the Welcome and Hospitality Ministry of Abyssinian Baptist Church. According to Pauline L. Monsanto, lead of the BOEW committee, this year’s event brought together more than 300 people, not only from Harlem but from many other New York communities, as well as visitors to New York.