Black history

On this second day of Kwanzaa, we celebrate the principle of kujichagulia which means “self-determination” in Swahili.

Self-determination means to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves–not the opposite. By becoming self-determined, we stake our claim to our full humanity. We proclaim that we, too, are made in God’s image.

Since our African ancestors left the shores of Africa against their will during the Middle Passage, our history involved:

*being defined by others: laws were enacted which defined our ancestors as either chattel property or citizens;

*being named by others: when our ancestors came to the West as enslaved people, they lost their African names and unique ethnic identity;

*being created in another person’s imagination through cultural stereotypes, media, and literature, thereby rendering many people voiceless, unable to tell our own stories.

Expressing self-determination in light of our history is liberating. For this, we light the red candle on the kinara.

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a non-religious Black and Pan-African holiday which celebrates Black culture, family, and history. The word Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza which means “first fruits”. First fruit celebrations were celebrated throughout ancient Africa.

Kwanzaa originated in 1966 in California one year after the Watts riots in order to bring healing to the Black community. Kwanzaa reinforces seven main values of African culture. Yet since it has been recreated from ancient African tradition, it’s also a Pan African holiday.

On this first day of Kwanzaa we celebrate the value of Umoja which means to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and among the people of the Black diaspora.

We light one candle on the kinara each day to represent each value. On this first day of Kwanzaa, we light the black candle.

For more information about Kwanzaa, you can read Dr. Maleunga Karenga’s book “Kwanzaa: a Celebration of Community, Family, and Culture.”