The weeklong celebration of Kwanzaa, that ends on New Year’s Day, crests tomorrow in Leimert Park Village, in the Crenshaw District, with the eight-hour Kwanzaa Heritage Festival and candle-lighting ceremony.
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Celebration officially launches In anticipated gleaming sunshine, at 10 a.m., and concludes after dark, at 6, with candle-lighting.
One reason Kwanzaa does not have as high of a profile as founders had hoped is the most basic explanation of all – too complicated for a swift, widespread, easy to digest definition.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Chair of the Dept. of Africana Studies at Cal State Long Beach, is recognized as the father of Kwanzaa.
Dr. Karenga, who often dresses in traditional African garb, birthed Kwanzaa in 1966 as a creative way for the black community to openly, proudly celebrate its African cultural heritage at a time when all Americans have jubilation on their minds.
Kwanzaa is described as being rooted in a Swahili phrase that means “first fruits.”
Kwanzaa is linked to an assortment of rituals related to the first harvest.
Dr. Karenga’s master plan called for five separate forms of activities:
• To reestablish interpersonal bonds,
• To express reverence to the Creator,
• To commemorate and honor ancestors,
• To commit to following cultural ideals,
• To celebrate life, family, community and culture.
Seven principles of African culture are observed during Kwanzaa:
• Unity: To work toward unity with others.
• Self-determination: To find one’s unique voice/place in the world.
• Collective work and responsibility: Cooperating in community building and problem-solving.
• Cooperation: To build and sustain a business from which the community profits.
• Purpose: To collectively strive toward cultural unity that is based on tradition.
• Creativity: To use one’s creativity to improve the community.
• Faith: To believe in each other, one’s leaders and the righteousness of the struggle.
See kwanzaaheritage.org for more information about the Leimert Park Kwanzaa party.
