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Post by Tara on Dec 26, 2004 14:40:04 GMT -5
In 1966, KWANZAA was created by a young visionary living on the west coast who was also the founder and chairman of the Black Nationalist Organization. Dr. Maulana Karenga, a trained political and cultural scientist and a participant and theoretician of the Black Liberation Movement, postulated that significant and meaningful Black movement in the U.S. was improbable, if not impossible, without a cultural component (base). He felt that at the base of any movement must be the cultural imperative that give the people a clear and precise sense of "idenity, purpose and direction." From Afrocentric NewsYou can learn more about the customs and ceremonies at The Official Kwanzaa Website
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Post by PhantomsPandora on Jan 11, 2005 2:00:18 GMT -5
Does this mean that you cannot celebrate Christmas and practice Kwanzaa?
I read most of the site, but I didn't know anyone that celebrated it growing up. Texas can be a very diverse place, Houston especially...I've grown up in North Texas, that is very..uh...well, I don't mean to put it down but it's not got a thing on Houston when it comes to diversity. There I had friends from all around the world and got to hear what they experienced on their religious holidays, but I never heard about Kwanzaa.
African american people I hung out with did not celebrate this, they celebrated christmas? Could this by why? (because they could not mix the holidays together?)
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Post by Tara on Jan 11, 2005 17:10:32 GMT -5
I don't think so. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not religious. Kwanzaa is the day after Christmas and lasts for an entire week, much like Hanukkah (spelled that wrong didn't I?) I myself didn't grow up celebrating Kwanzaa and I personally don't know anyone who has, but I wanted to this year. I was dissapointed to find out that the celebration that my family did was in their church which is African Methodist Episcopal. I was bummed. But I'll be sure to be more prepared next year. Last year I went to a celebration at UCONN. They lit the candles and stated each of the principles. There was an entire display and everything. The entire atmosphere and the way things were decorated was all African American. They even played some traditional African music along with some modern R&B. Dick Gregory (civil rights activist/comedian/health nutritionist) was there as well and gave an inspirational speech to us. There were people of all sorts of nationalities there, African Americans, Whites, Hispanics...
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