After 43 years, Kwanzaa festivities stay strong in Boston.
This Saturday, Dec. 26, hundreds of Bostonians will begin their celebration of Kwanzaa. This 7-day holiday draws upon different African traditions and emphasizes the importance of family and community.
Established in 1966 by Ron Karenga, former chair of the Black Studies department at California State University, Long Beach, Kwanzaa is a cultural—not religious—holiday growing out of the traditions of Pan-Africanism and Black Nationalism.
Kwanzaa serves to reconnect African Americans with their African cultural roots by utilizing Swahili vocabulary, replicating aspects of traditional African harvest festivals, and teaching traditional values. The name “Kwanzaa” comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanzaa,” which means “first fruits.” Because of its non-religious nature, African Americans from all backgrounds can come together to participate.
The holiday was a way for African Americans to honor their culture, but it was also part of the black power movement of the era. The big boom in Kwanzaa came during its first two decades, according to Keith Mayes, author of “Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition.”
But he said participation has leveled off. Based on his research, he estimates a half-million to 2 million people in the U.S. celebrate Kwanzaa, out of about 40 million Americans identified by the U.S. Census as black, including those who are multiracial.
Mayes, an assistant professor of African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota, says the black power movement was the “engine” for Kwanzaa, and the holiday faded as the movement receded. It started amid talk of revolution, black power and community control, but “in the ‘90s and in the 21st century, it’s no longer referenced that way,” said Mayes, adding that white institutions celebrate it as part of a broader diversity initiative. “It’s all about inclusion, diversity, goodwill, multiculturalism.”
Although Kwanzaa started here, it has become a Pan-African holiday. The African American Cultural Center places the number of those who observe Kwanzaa worldwide at 30 million, but even that is a small fraction of the hundreds of millions of people of African descent all over the world.
To teach African Americans about this community celebration, the Kwanzaa Committee in Boston hosted an informal 2-hour workshop at the Roxbury YMCA last Saturday afternoon. The workshop provided information about the history of Kwanzaa and the “nguzo saba,” the “seven principles” of African communal life.
These principles are: “umoja” (unity); “kujichagulia” (self-determination); “ujima” (collective work and responsibility); “ujamaa” (cooperative economics); “nia” (purpose); “kuumba” (creativity); and “imani” (faith).
Each day of Kwanzaa celebrates one of these principles.
The workshop also presented the seven symbols of Kwanzaa. The “kinara,” candleholder, holds the “mishumaa saba,” seven candles. Each candle signifies one of the seven principles, and is lit on its designated night. One candle is colored black to represent the African American people, three red candles to represent their struggles, and three green ones to represent their hopes for the future.
The “kikombe cha umoja,” unity cup, is used for libations to pay respect to ancestors. During the workshop, a unity cup filled with water was passed around the audience, and each person called the name of an ancestor of African descent. While some paid respect to deceased family members, others honored historical figures like Malcolm X, Ossie Davis, Clara Muhammad and Jackie Robinson.
The other symbols are: “mazao” (crops); “mkeka” (mat); “muhindi” (corn); and “zawadi” (gifts).
In addition to this information, the workshop also offered tips on how to celebrate the holiday, like where to purchase a candleholder and whether to use electric or wax candles.
To conclude the event, the audience shouted “Harambe!”—“pull together”—seven times, pumping their fists in the air with each cry.
The workshop is held annually before the commencement of Kwanzaa.
Partnering with over a dozen local religious, cultural, educational, political, and community organizations, the Kwanzaa Committee will also host nightly celebrations throughout Roxbury and Dorchester.
For more information on these events, call 617-427-2522.
