Post by Vampirella on Dec 19, 2003 23:51:47 GMT -5
The holiday was the brainchild of Maulana Karenga, a militant black nationalist who branded it as a "black alternative to Christmas." Karenga rejected his slave name of "Ron" and was violently opposed to racial integration. The official Kwanzaa website explicitly states that the goal of the holiday is to "bring about conditions that will foster radical social change amongst Black Americans." The seven principles of unity, collective work, self-determination, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith form the foundation of the holiday. The holiday strives for "one nation of Black people, totally united in the struggle for black love, black freedom and black self-determination." Kwanzaa even has its own flag, which comes across as utterly separatist. The motives for this holiday are far more political than cultural. It seems the goal is to have an African-American cultural expression with Pan-African overtones. It is in this sphere that the holiday becomes entirely fraudulent.
The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili word "matunda yakwanza," which means "first fruit." Numerous other Swahili terms are used, such as "ujima," which means collective work. The problem with this is that Swahili is an East African language. The Africans who who were brought over to this country as slaves came from West Africa. The regions today have almost nothing in common culturally. Equating the two regions would be like equating our country with a nation such as Lebanon and adopting an Arabic version of the "Star Spangled Banner." On top of this, there are no visible African roots in this holiday. There is not a single culture in the world, let alone one in Africa, that celebrates a harvest festival in December. The symbol of corn is prominent throughout the holiday. The contradiction here is that corn is not indigenous to Africa. Corn was first developed by Indians in what is now Mexico. Europeans were the people who brought corn over to Africa, and in using this symbol the holiday is unknowingly embracing an element of Colonialism. The moral hypocrisy continues further. The term "ujima" was what was cried by Tanzanian communist dictator when he forcibly transported tens of thousands of innocent Tanzanians to collective farms, where many met their death in horrible forced labor conditions. And in light of the brutally violent civil conflict in DR Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia, and many other African nations, the idea of harmonious African Unity is an intellectually dishonest concept.
Karenga and other Kwanzaa spokespeople are not even able to stick to a consistent story on what their holiday means. In 1977, Karenga described the holiday as "an alternative to spookism, mysticism, and non earth-based practices" and said that Kwanzaa has "definite principles, practices, and symbols which are geared towards the spiritual needs of Afro-America." Twenty years and thousands of Hallmark cards later, the tune has changed. In 1997, Karenga said "this holiday is not intended to provide an alternative to any religious holiday" and that "the message and principles of Kwanzaa have a universal message for all people." Clearly, political correctness and the greeting card industry have taken some of the hardline militancy out of Karenga's message.
The name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili word "matunda yakwanza," which means "first fruit." Numerous other Swahili terms are used, such as "ujima," which means collective work. The problem with this is that Swahili is an East African language. The Africans who who were brought over to this country as slaves came from West Africa. The regions today have almost nothing in common culturally. Equating the two regions would be like equating our country with a nation such as Lebanon and adopting an Arabic version of the "Star Spangled Banner." On top of this, there are no visible African roots in this holiday. There is not a single culture in the world, let alone one in Africa, that celebrates a harvest festival in December. The symbol of corn is prominent throughout the holiday. The contradiction here is that corn is not indigenous to Africa. Corn was first developed by Indians in what is now Mexico. Europeans were the people who brought corn over to Africa, and in using this symbol the holiday is unknowingly embracing an element of Colonialism. The moral hypocrisy continues further. The term "ujima" was what was cried by Tanzanian communist dictator when he forcibly transported tens of thousands of innocent Tanzanians to collective farms, where many met their death in horrible forced labor conditions. And in light of the brutally violent civil conflict in DR Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia, and many other African nations, the idea of harmonious African Unity is an intellectually dishonest concept.
Karenga and other Kwanzaa spokespeople are not even able to stick to a consistent story on what their holiday means. In 1977, Karenga described the holiday as "an alternative to spookism, mysticism, and non earth-based practices" and said that Kwanzaa has "definite principles, practices, and symbols which are geared towards the spiritual needs of Afro-America." Twenty years and thousands of Hallmark cards later, the tune has changed. In 1997, Karenga said "this holiday is not intended to provide an alternative to any religious holiday" and that "the message and principles of Kwanzaa have a universal message for all people." Clearly, political correctness and the greeting card industry have taken some of the hardline militancy out of Karenga's message.