By Dawn Scotland
The Truth Reporter
The Frederick Douglass Community Association held its annual Kwanzaa Celebrations at the Doug December 26 – Jan 1. The weeklong celebration featured music, speakers and vendors with the final night culminating in a community celebration of the Karamu.
Created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in the Swahili language. The seven principles which form its core were drawn from communitarian values found throughout the African continent. (source:nmaahc.si.edu)
Each night the Doug celebrated Kwanzaa with a special celebration beginning at 6pm. Day 1 of the celebration, December 26, kicked-off with the first principle of Kwanzaa: Umoja (unity). Kwanzaa began with a procession into the auditorium led by Bro. Washington Muhammad , the acknowledgement of elders, libation ceremony, lighting of the Kinara, speeches, activities and the opportunity throughout the night to support black vendors at The Doug.
Rashid Spencer, executive director of Kwanzaa House of Northwest Ohio, remarked, “Today was our opening day for Kwanzaa. Tonight was the first night “Umoja”, which means unity. The goal of tonight’s principal is to bring the community together and unify one another – working with each other and connecting within the black community as well. Just to make sure that we keep the vision going and possibly push forward to carry on with our youth.”
Kwanzaa festivities concluded January 1 with the Karamu, the communal feast at the end of Kwanzaa, that provided free food and fellowship to the community.
The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa (Ngoza Saba) are :
1. Umoja (unity) 00-MOH -jah: To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation. And race.
2. Kujichangulia (Self-determination) KOO-gee-CHA-goo-LEE-ah: To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves instead of being spoken for by others.
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) 00-GEE-mah: To build and maintain our community together to make our sister’s and brother’s problems our problems, and to solve these problems together.
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) 00-jah-MAH: To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses, and to profit from them together.
5. Nia (Purpose) Nee-ah: To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba (Creativity) KOO-00M-bah: To do always as much as we can, in the way e can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it.
7. Imani (Faith) ee-Mon-EE: To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
To learn more about Kwanzaa visit: officialkwanzaawebsite.org
To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Community Association visit: thedoug419.org
