Each year, from December 26th through January 1st, many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. Created by activist and Africana Studies professor, Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African American and Pan-African culture, heritage, and unity that is rooted in African harvest festival traditions from West Africa and Southeast Africa. During this seven-day cultural festival, families and communities organize activities around the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles).
The Seven Principles
The seven principles of Kwanzaa, typically referred to by their Swahili names, are reflective of African values.
- Umoja (Unity): to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, & race.
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
- Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility): to build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
- Nia (Purpose): to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
- Kuumba (Creativity): 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.
- Imani (Faith): to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
The Seven Symbols
The seven symbols of Kwanzaa, typically referred to by their Swahili names, are reflective of African culture.
- Mazao (The Crops): rewards of productive and collective labor
- Mishumaa Saba (The Seven Candles): Nguzo Saba or seven principles
- Zawadi (The Gifts): labor of parents and rewards for their children
- Kikombe Cha Umoja (The Unity Cup): cup that is passed around
during Karamu feast; a sign of unity - Muhindi (The Corn): children and the future
- Kinara (The Candle Holder): reminder of our ancestry
- Mkeka (The Mat): foundation of tradition and history
This year – the ABPsi Student Circle will be celebrating this important cultural holiday by hosting a special activity or event for each of the seven principles. There will also be a table set up in the atrium featuring information about Kwanzaa and the seven symbols. You can learn more about these celebrations here.
A special thanks to Courtney Cabell (PsyD 3) and the rest of the ABPsi Executive Board [Tara Pope (PsyD 3), Jasmine Perin (PsyD 2), and Dennis Brown (PsyD 1)] for their contributions to this posting.
