Kwanzaa – A holiday created by Africanist scholar Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is a celebration held across the United States and in other nations of the African Diaspora. Kwanzaa is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving.
Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba, consisting of what Karenga called “the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world.” Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows:
- Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family and community.
- Kujichagulia (Self-
Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. - Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ 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 make collective vocation the building and developing of community.
- Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as possible to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
- Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
In it’s third annual year of production, Kwanzaa Celebration is the creation of Kevin McEwen, the founder of Kofago Dance Ensemble and professor of dance at Queensborough Community College. “This event has always been about celebrating the seven principles of Kwanzaa, but this years show will be focused on how those principles have unified us as a global community facing the Corona Virus pandemic.”
Join us on December 20th, 2020 as we present our third annual Kwanzaa Celebration as a YouTube Live streaming event! This year, things are going to be a little different, but the amazing quality of dance performances and good storytelling will still be the same!