The Nguzo Saba

Kwanzaa is one of my absolute favorite holidays and one that I initially rejected in childhood because it came with ridicule and more being different. While everybody else around me was talking Santa Claus and Christmas, our household was talking about Kwanzaa and the Kwanzaaman. Ridiculous, I KNOW. I'm laughing out loud as I write about this. In me sharing this though, there are so many gems for you to pull out but two important ones:

Things in your life are not happening TO you, they are happening FOR you; and

The things you experience in life are preparing you for your future. All things are a seed until cultivated.

I first came to know of Kwanzaa by someone who was a Five Percenter (see source list for more on this), which in short held the belief that being Black was both original and supreme. So I spent a lot of time hearing about what Black people should and shouldn't be doing, reading the Holy Qur'an and being anti-holidays...but the seed had been planted. I reconnected with Kwanzaa as I was building adé PROJECT and knew I wanted these principles to be the values of our coop organization.

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More importantly, I wanted to constantly check my life + make these values by which I lived my life daily, not just when the Kwanzaa holiday rolled around December 26January 1 each year. Each year consistently since then, it has been a beautiful time of celebration, reflection and giving back to the community for my organizations, businesses and just who I am as a person. For the most part, I have completely separated from Christmas because it's not something I culturally align with. Now that I have made that decision for myself as an adult I have peace in being able to carry the torch for my ancestors and I get excited thinking of new gatherings to curate each year. If that's something that interests you, be sure you're on my mailing list to see what I'm up to!

The concept of Kwanzaa was originally created in 1966, founded in collaboration, and coined by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a response to decades of work on Africana studies. Dr. Karenga researched African harvest celebrations and combined aspects of several different celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the foundation of Kwanzaa. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means first fruits, or harvest, in Swahili. Celebrations often include singing and dancing, storytelling, poetry reading, African drumming, and feasting. Dr. Karenga is a professor and chairman of Africana Studies at California State University. He moved from inspired action to coin the holiday in response to the Watts Riots in Los Angeles in 1965 as a way to bring African-Americans together as a community. The seven core principles of Kwanzaa are known as the Nguzo Saba. Kwanzaa is celebrated globally by millions each year.

HOW TO HEAL THE PLANET FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE 23

Umoja: Unity | To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. This is the first principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 26th each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create a drawing with your inner child or little humans you love. Or use this space for end-of-year/ beginning of year vision boarding. Take up space!

Kujichagulia: Self-Determination | To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. This is the second principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 27th each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create a drawing with your inner child or little humans you love. Or use this space for end-of-year/ beginning of year vision boarding. Take up space!

Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility | To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and solve them together. This is the third principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 28th each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create a drawing with your inner child or little humans you love. Or use this space for end-of-year/ beginning of year vision boarding. Take up space!

Imani: Faith | To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. This is the fourth principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 29th each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create with your inner child or little humans you love, use this space for vision boarding, make some word art, or write a poem. Do you. Take up space!

Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics | To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. This is the fifth principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 30th each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create with your inner child or little humans you love, use this space for vision boarding, make some word art, or write a poem. Do you. Take up space!

Nia: Purpose | To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. This is the sixth principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on December 31st each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create with your inner child or little humans you love, use this space for vision boarding, make some word art, or write a poem. Do you. Take up space!

Kuumba: Creativity | To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. This is the seventh principle of Kwanzaa, celebrated during holiday on January 1st each year.

In the space below, reflect on what this principle means to you, co-create with your inner child or little humans you love, use this space for vision boarding, make some word art, or write a poem. Do you. Take up space!