ABSTRACT. Kwanzaa. Los Angeles. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday, which celebrates family,

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1 ABSTRACT Kwanzaa I chose to examine the relationship between Kwanzaa and religion attempting to illustrate why the Black community found Kwanzaa so alluring and what relevance the holiday holds today. Doctor Maulana Karenga established Kwanzaa in 1966, in Los Angeles. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday, which celebrates family, community and culture. It is observed for a week each year starting on December 26 th. The tradition spread through the country thanks to Karenga s initial followers, public neighborhood spheres, a number of organizations and the work of political activists. Though it was purposely designed to be a secular celebration, it encompasses aspects associated with a number of religions including Christianity, Islam and Judaism, but because, of its spiritual structure and religious format people placed it in opposition to religious holidays, particularly Christmas. It has been criticized for racist undertones, attempting to substitute religion, and discouraging the black community from practicing their respective faiths. The spread and development of Kwanzaa illustrates that many African Americans ascertain a need to separate their culture and identity from white societal supremacy. Kwanzaa provides Black people with the opportunity to redefine their cultural identity a right denied to their ancestors who a large extent had to abandon their roots and traditions when they were forcibly removed from their homes, shipped to a different continent and implanted in a society, which reduced them to slaves. Kwanzaa is one of the few remnants of the Black Power movement and resulted in a bold reworking of the American calendar. It uniquely overlaps the spheres of religion and politics, and functions as an interesting point of entry for contemporary discourses surrounding race. 1

2 Karenga, Maulana. "Kwanzaa African American Celebration of Family, Community and Culture by Maulana Karenga." The Official Kwanzaa Web Site. Web. 19 May < I started with the official Kwanzaa website because I needed to get some background on the holiday before getting into material that pertains to my question. I though this was the most authoritative source on the history and purposes of Kwanzaa. My understanding is that most of it has been written by Doctor Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa. The site appears somewhat amateur; a lot of the links and pictures aren t in place, but in contrast, the information on the page is written in a very eloquent manner. Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. It is celebrated for a week each year starting on December 26 th. It was established by Doctor Maulana Karenga in 1966, but is said to be rooted in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name; in Swahili (the most widely spoken African language), the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" means "first fruits." The holiday was a response to white supremacy and an expression of recovery and reconstruction of African culture, which was being conducted in the general context of the Black Liberation Movement of the '60's and in the specific context of The Organization Us, the founding organization of Kwanzaa and the authoritative keeper of its tradition. Kwanzaa was created for a number of reasons. First, it aims to assert and restore the roots of African culture. Second, it serves as a regular, communal celebration, which reaffirms and reinforces the bonds between African people, and strengthens the common identity, purpose, and direction of Africans as a world 2

3 community. Thirdly, it used as a way to celebrate and practice the Nguzo Saba, or the Seven Principles. These seven communitarian African values are: Unity (Umoja), Self-Determination (Kujichagulia)), Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima), Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa), Purpose (Nia), Creativity (Kuumba), and Faith (Imani). Details pertaining to Kwanzaa can also be found on this website under hyperlinks regarding symbols, greetings, colors and decorations, and meditation. This website contains a few paragraphs on the application of meditation in Kwanzaa, something that has not been mentioned in any other sources. The last day of the celebration is called the Day of Assessment or the Day of Meditation during which people should engage in quiet reflection. The idea on this [day] is to maintain a quiet, humble and calm attitude with regard to oneself and towards one's neighbors. It is thus a good time for reassessment and recommitment on a personal and family level. The site also provides an Odu Ifa meditation text. This aspect of Kwanzaa, largely omitted from sources with a Christian agenda, could speak to the multicultural and multi-religious influence that Eastern tradition or thought have also had on Kwanzaa. Arguably, some of the Nguzo Saba, such as collective responsibility, cooperative economics, and unity could also be seen as Eastern influence. Morrow, Carlotta. "The Truth About Kwanzaa - Should Christians Celebrate It - Should Anyone Celebrate It?" The Truth About Kwanzaa - Should Christians Celebrate It - Should Anyone Celebrate It? 29 Dec Web. 19 May < Carlotta Morrow is a devout Evangelical Christian African-American. Her educational background is not clear, but a quick search on her revealed that she s been published in the Southern California Christian Times (now called the San Diego 3

4 Christian Examiner) and San Diego Union-Tribune. ( About Carlota Morrow at: She also wrote a book titled Kwanza: Contrary to Christianity. Most the content on this website was originally published on christocentric.com, but this particular website is a continuation of Morrow s personal blog which was discontinued. She explains that her research on Kwanzaa was triggered by a new conviction in getting the truth out to warn people about Kwanzaa. She describes the celebration as a wolf in sheep's clothing" ready to devour those unaware of its dark, racist and humanistic messages. The website explains that Morrow s sister was a member of Dr. Karenga's Black activist group called the US Organization, and that she denounced her faith in Christ claiming Christianity as a white man's religion. Morrow writes that she experienced the groups teachings first hand and that she was shocked at the us against the white man attitude that seeped through the meetings, and especially at the negativity directed toward the Christian and Jewish religions. Morrow sets up a lot of her analysis based on comparisons she draws between Karenga s early work and his more recent publications. She analyzes, for instance, whether Kwanzaa is a celebration for all people by comparing a quote from Kwanzaa: Origin, Concepts, and Practice written in 1977 with another from Kwanzaa: Celebration of Family, Community and Culture. Morrow questions whether Karenga had a change of heart or if this was his attempt to appeal to the masses. Morrow emphasizes her analysis of Karenga's writings on the subject of Kwaznaa as a substitute for Christmas. Again, she contrasts his early work with some of his later work drawing quotes from Kawaida Theory and from Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family Community and Culture. 4

5 Morrow sees Karenga s shift towards a more liberal approach as something which diminishes the legitimacy of his claims. She concludes that Karenga intended for Kwanzaa to be more than a once a year event, a complete new "religion" that would change the lives of many and spiritually rebuild them into becoming a better person. It is clear, however, that she in no way agrees with this view, and that those who celebrate Kwanzaa, and moreover use it as a religious system, should not be doing so. Her understanding of Kwanzaa is very fundamentalist. At the very least, her main points are representative of the views some Christians who clearly feel anxious about and threatened by Kwanzaa may hold. Morrow fails to take into account Stuart Hall s encoding/decoding theory and recognize that Kwanzaa can register in a different way, a way that does not lay emphasis on such early and radical teachings, and appeal and positively impact people of all races even if they were not the intended audience. Robinson-Jacobs, Karen. "Religion; Uniting Faith, Culture; Kwanzaa Celebrations Become Part of Worship Services in Many African American Churches." Los Angeles Times, Dec 27, This article explains that because the number of people who celebrate Kwanzaa has increased to 25 million, the festivities are no longer reduced to afterhour ceremonies in church basements but are observed within the African American church, incorporated in or merged with Sunday morning worship services. The move is seen by some as part of an increasing Afrocentrism within the African American church and a movement away from centuries of European-flavored Christianity. This includes, African-inspired dress on Sunday morning, African drums in the music 5

6 ministry and the incorporation of other African symbols and principles in the worship experience. According to a number of black ministers, embracing African culture is at the core of the growing Afrocentric movement within the black church. Of course, there are also other churches and ministers who do not agree and do not celebrate Kwanzaa, only the birth of Jesus Christ. Though many of those principles of the holiday are similar to teachings in the Bible, these progressive ministers acknowledged that some people within their congregations may be troubled by the incorporation of a nonreligious observance into the worship service, especially coming so close to Christmas. Like Karenga, they argue that the the beauty of Kwanzaa is that you can do both since it is designed to focus on the achievements and heritage of people of African descent reaffirming the rootedness of their culture, bringing African Americans together on common ground, instead of being based on religion. Some Kwanzaa traditions which were not mentioned on the Official Kwaznaa website are described within this article. For instance, it is written that during each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, participants gather, light one of the candles on the kinara (candleholder) and review one of the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, that form the basis of the holiday. Children also receive gifts. In writing my research paper, I would use this information to further illuminate that some Kwanzaa traditions have been borrowed from other religious practices, in this case Hanukkah. It is also mentioned that the rediscovery of the black experience of worship is also attracting nonblack participants, which speaks to the inclusiveness of Kwanzaa that people like Carlotta Morrow attempt to defy. 6

7 "Holiday's spiritual embrace debated in churches, mosques the Kwanzaa question." Denver Post [Denver, CO] 22 Dec. 2003: F-01. Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 19 May This article focuses on how Kwanzaa is increasingly taking on a spiritual dimension as Christians and Muslims blend holiday traditions with aspects of their own faith. Gorski mentions that while the acceptance of Kwanzaa in churches is growing, it isn't all completely new, tracing celebrations at Epworth United Methodist Church to the 1970s. Much like the commercialism of Christmas and Hanukkah has sparked debate, so has the spiritualization of Kwanzaa. Like Robinson-Jacob, Gorski contrasts cases of religious leaders and communities who believe that Kwanzaa is consistent with ideals taught from the pulpit of black churches with those who do not. The article clearly focuses on the first group. Some African-American Protestant churches celebrate the holiday, as do many black Catholics and Muslims, but at the same time, there are pastors and Imams who turn their backs on Kwanzaa, considering the observance as either unnecessary, incompatible with their faiths, or as an impermissible substitute for religious holidays or even religion as whole. The article covers a lot of background on Kwanzaa and Karenga, which was largely a repetition of what previous sources have stated, however, the article emphasizes that Kwanzaa was purposely secular though it contained bits of religion from its creation. Aspects like the kinara, which resembles a Jewish menorah, are listed, but I also came across something unmentioned by other sources, namely that the emphasis on unity is parallel to a central doctrine of Islam. An explanation of Kwanzaa s scheduling, which is viewed as a threat by many religious people, is also remarked and according to Karenga, justified because the African first-fruit celebrations took place during that time of year and pre-dated both Hanukkah and Christmas. The article also mentions 7

8 the influences of traditional African religions such as Ife, from which Kwanzaa borrows the importance of venerating family, which the Western world is less familiar with. The article includes statements from several religious leaders, among them Brother Jeff Fard, a Muslim and the owner of a cultural center in Denver s Five Point neighborhood and organizer of the city s Kwanzaa. Fard believes that African- Americans have a strong spiritual base and said that Kwanzaa, while secular, observes core values universal to all religions. In the African-American community, completely separating a cultural celebration such as Kwanzaa from spirituality is not possible. For my hypothetical paper I would use this source in order to strengthen my argument regarding the influence different religions have had on Kwanzaa. Quotes from Brother Jeff Fard provide some insight on this subject, as he concluded that, "the strength of Kwanzaa is its ability to bring faiths together. If we were to embrace a specific religion, it would be a divisive situation." He also admitted that disconnecting spirituality from African American culture is nearly impossible because they are almost one and the same, which would prompt a discourse on what it means to be African and what it means to be spiritual both questions we raised throughout the semester. I would use Gorski s work to illustrate that while Kwanzaa aimed to be secular, on many fronts it functions like a religion. He writes that today some Kwanzaa greeting cards incorporate Christian scriptural passages, which correspond with Kwanzaa principles and that while most Kwanzaa events are separate from Mass, there are instances where the holiday can be incorporated. For instance, prayers may be offered for needs of the African-American community or for African nations where conflicts rage. 8

9 Joseph, Peniel E. ""A Holiday of Our Own"" The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. New York: Routledge, Print. I only used chapter 9 of this book, which details the black community s efforts to promote Kwanzaa through urban networks of cultural Black Power. The chapter chronologically outlines the spread of Kwanzaa. Though Karnega s Us Organization in LA breathed life into Kwanzaa, organizations in New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, and Philadelphia nurtured the infant holiday in urban centers. Black neighborhoods, schools, and local Kwanzaa committees were instrumental in its popularization. Before it emerged as a major holiday for African Americans, it simply existed alongside the other Us rituals. It spread first through California, then into other states, especially on the East Coast. Karenga recruited and quickly trained some of his first followers like Sister Makinya and Amiri Baraka. The former was responsible for the popularization of Kwanzaa in Northern California and the latter for spreading word about the holiday to the East Coast and organizing meetings that gathered national and international political activists who further assisted in the promotion of Kwanzaa. Several pages are devoted to the work of neighborhood public spheres in New York, Chicago and DC where locals and organizations worked together to helped publicize Kwanzaa and engrain it in African American life. Kwanzaa began to be thought of as not just a holiday, but an umbrella term for a new culture, a new value system, and a new lifestyle among black people. The chapter also touches upon Karenga s connection to Malcolm X s anniversary celebrations shedding light on the political side of Us and elaborates on Kwanzaa s relationship with Christmas. 9

10 The conclusion of this chapter examines Kwanzaa in the context of the Black Power movement. The Black Power movement began in the 1970s as a result of government repressions, the exile of leaders, internal struggles, and an overall loss of focus. On a national level, the movement ended, but Kwanzaa and local promotional efforts remain examples of the Black Power s continued resilience and relevance in black neighborhoods during the decline of the national movement. Kwanzaa became an independent entity whose charge was to educate a community about the African roots of black Americans. This source is different from the others in that it does not concentrate on the religious aspects of Kwanzaa. It was useful in that it illuminates how and why Karenga was successful in the spread of Kwanzaa, which is instrumental in understanding how and why it functions. Karenga believed that black American culture originated in African traditions, traditions that could lead to freedom and liberation from white cultural domination. It illustrates how the practice aims to reconnect with a lost African past, and unite it with the American present. I would use this source to contextualize Kwanzaa and explain how it empowered African Americans on a national scope through local character. Gibson, Dave. "Ethnocentric Celebration of Kwanzaa Founded by Racist." Examiner.com. 22 Dec Web. 19 May < Dave Gibson s focuses his post on examiner.com around the premise that Kwanzaa is a racist holiday. He summarizes the Seven Principles as principles of blackness which require those who celebrate to think black, talk black, act black, 10

11 create black, buy black, vote black, and live black. He compares this similar redundancy and racism with the doctrines of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. A good portion of the article describes Karenga s past prior to starting Us and initiating Kwanzaa, reminding his readers that Karenga spent four years in prison for the imprisonment and torture of two of his female followers, Deborah Jones and Gail Davis. Davis cites an article written in 1999 by Paul Mulshine to elucidate why Kwanzaa is a fabricated holiday. He also relies on the work of Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson who wrote SCAM: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America who has been quoted saying that Kwanzaa should be completely rejected, just as we would do if a white racist came up with a false holiday to celebrate whiteness. Davis concludes that Kwanzaa is simply bunk and serves no purpose other than further divide the country along racial lines, and drive many black Americans away from the true meaning of Christmas. Davis is even more radical and fundamentalist in his understanding of Kwanzaa than Carlotta Morrow. According to the website, Dave's politics have been described as "just to the right of Pat Buchanan." I would use this source to shed light on the extent to which the need for the development of black culture can be misunderstood as racism. Like most of my sources, it mentions Christmas and illustrates the threat some feel it poses, which is why I would probably aim to focus a good portion of my hypothetical paper on this topic. 11