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Kwanzaa: More Than a Black Person's Holiday
By Tanesha V. Roach - Dec 15, 2008
Photo Keywords: Kwanzaa, holiday

Lubna Muhammad has celebrated Kwanzaa for more than 30 years.

"Kwanzaa is more than a holiday--[it's] a culture that should be applied to everyday life," says Muhammad, owner of Top Shelf Plus in Newark, N.J.

Muhammad says she began observing Kwanzaa because she felt its core message spoke to both her culture and spirit.

"When you go to work, you need umoja every day--that's unity. You need unity with your coworkers," she says.

Muhammad isn't alone. More than 30 million people in America celebrate Kwanzaa, according to a spokesperson from the African American Cultural Center. 

Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest" in Swahili, was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor at California State University at Long Beach, to reinforce positive values and strengthen bonds within the Black community.

But the holiday isn't just for Blacks--people of all races celebrate Kwanzaa.

The Seven Principles serve as the foundation of Kwanzaa. They are: unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.

One principle per day is celebrated over the course of the seven days from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

For best practices and legal tips on religion in the workplace, attend DiversityInc's Dec. 16 webinar. Also, see more "religion in the workplace" stories on www.DiversityInc.com and in the Nov./Dec. 2008 issue of DiversityInc magazine.

Readers' Comments

Your opinions and thoughts...
Posted Tuesday Dec 23, 2008 by Guest;

 

 I thought the whole point of Kwanzaa was so that African-Americans could have their own holiday totally independent of White or any other American traditions.   Have things changed since it Kwanzaa was launched in the 1960's/1970's?

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Posted Tuesday Dec 23, 2008 by Guest;

 This is not a myth . . . anymore than saying it is a myth that only Jewish people celebrate Hannukah. Yes, non-black people may learn about Kwanzaa but there aren't white families making this a tradition at home. If I'm wrong, please give me an example of even one white family that celebrates Kwanzaa!

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Posted Monday Jan 5, 2009 by Guest;

Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday celebrating African-American heritage, is a seven-day celebration that begins Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1. It was developed in the wake of the Watts Riots in 1966 by activist and convicted felon Ron "Maulana Karenga" Everett as a way to emphasize black culture and pride. The New York Times has estimated that 13 million people celebrate Kwanzaa each year. The United States Post Office has commemorated it with a stamp, and Hallmark and other companies have tailored cards for it.

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Posted Monday Jan 5, 2009 by Guest;

 I feel this holiday is meant to preserve Africain heritage, it's a celebration of people and the earth.

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