An Ujimaa Quest for a Kwanzaa Jubilee | Part 1

Whenever the word ‘jubilee’ is mentioned among Black people, a sacred event is soon coming. A big anniversary celebration, or a new phase of existence for us – or an honored tradition – is drawing near, and always with the hope and promise of better things to come.

Every jubilee begins as a creative act of unity, purpose, and faith that becomes collective work and cooperative economics for people in route to self-determination. All Seven Principles apply on these occasions where we not only celebrate ourselves, but also renew our understanding of – and commitment to – those things that make us better people.

As the 57th season of Kwanzaa approaches and the 60th anniversary draws near, current circumstances give us reason to consider the need for a 60th Anniversary Kwanzaa Jubilee. That’s because we are facing changes in this society at a level that hasn’t occurred since the late 1960’s, when Kwanzaa was first called for, created, and celebrated by the Us Organization (Us) – led by Dr. Maulana Karenga.

As part of our preparation and response, we need to infuse this year’s Kwanzaa season with a spirit of renewal that brings forward an increased understanding and embrace of the holiday and the Seven Principles to help improve outcomes in all areas of Black life going forward.

To accomplish that, we need to bring more positive attention to the holiday than ever before to reach the critical majority who have not yet been reached and to reengage those who have at a higher level.

Although Kwanzaa is widely celebrated by Black people, most do not participate for various reasons. As Dr. Karenga has noted – “Kwanzaa is widespread, but not mainstream.” Yet, at its best, it was conceived to have a positive, mainstream influence not yet fully achieved.

A primary reason for that is because the annual return of Kwanzaa prompts a return of the same anti- Kwanzaa attacks that happen every year, too. This contributes directly to the limited engagement with the holiday in the Black community.

Because of these things, many longtime Kwanzaa celebrants have hoped for and previously called for the type of renewal and recommitment represented by this call for a Kwanzaa Jubilee. But what does a Kwanzaa Jubilee mean in practice?

The first objective is to determine what will inspire a renewed and increased embrace of Kwanzaa among the people. Consistent with the communal spirit of the holiday, this jubilee would have to be a collective (Ujima) effort informed by teachings on Kwanzaa, the Nguzo Saba, and Kawaida philosophy – as developed by Dr. Karenga.

We reached out to request his participation from the start with no response so far. But we also understand the increasing demands on his time as Kwanzaa approaches. Ideally, this effort would gain his support, perhaps in an ever-increasing example of the shared good of Kwanzaa.

That’s because no one can seriously claim to promote or represent Kwanzaa without respecting Dr. Karenga’s contributions to it. Before Kwanzaa came into existence, he laid its foundation with his introduction of the Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles) the year before (1965) and his development of the “cultural and social change philosophy” called Kawaida prior to that.

Kwanzaa became a way to introduce and link the Nguzo Saba with a Pan African tradition, while also advancing Kawaida. Dr. Karenga explains that – “Although the Nguzo Saba are most widely known as the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, they are in a larger sense the Seven Principles of Kawaida philosophy, the cultural and social change philosophy out of which Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba were created.”

So, after being inspired to create a Black holiday, Dr. Karenga organized and led the effort to create Kwanzaa. As a result, he is known worldwide as the holiday’s sole creator, although he acknowledges others who assisted on occasion. He has also become a world class scholar, author, and professor of African history, culture, and ethics. His status as a leading scholar is well established.

But Kwanzaa emerged from a turbulent period in the late 1960’s, and the Us Organization endured considerable losses. Despite Dr. Karenga’s impressive achievements, negative stories from that era concerning him become the focus of the anti-Kwanzaa attacks we face each year. As the sole creator of Kwanzaa, criticism of him is directly linked to the holiday, causing many to dismiss his work. But the ideas behind Kwanzaa are much bigger than any one person or their shortcomings – real or imagined – even the holiday’s creator, and I think he would agree.

So, how do we advance the shared good and ethical focus of Kwanzaa beyond these concerns?

Clarifying negative stories about Dr. Karenga is a necessary step, particularly, where distinguishing those matters from Kwanzaa is concerned. Some of the biggest issues can be easily resolved by studying qualified sources. The most controversial topics are still affected by negative internal and external influences that prevent the highest possible lessons and insight from emerging. We will address this in more detail going forward.

For now, a creative focus directly contributing to a Kwanzaa renewal or jubilee would be to expand our understanding of the Kwanzaa creation story by considering the people who inspired and assisted Dr. Karenga in the process. A range of new and inspiring conversations could be created about the people involved in an effort aligned with the communal nature of Kwanzaa and the Seven Principles.

Being known as the sole creator of Kwanzaa has elevated Dr. Karenga’s global status, but it is also departs from the collective spirit of the holiday and the broader African ethics of sharing from which it emerges. That earned esteem is also challenged by Dr. Karenga’s own remarks against using Kwanzaa to promote self-esteem where he states – “When you focus just on self-esteem you focus on individual orientation that is against African values.”

Surely, the collective aspects of Kwanzaa are not reflected in the holiday being created by one person. Recognizing its creation as a shared exercise aligns perfectly with the spirit of the holiday, becoming an incomparable example of the shared good of Kwanzaa – while not denying Dr. Karenga’s primary contribution at all.

A key question for a Kwanzaa Jubilee then becomes – can the Kwanzaa creation story be truthfully expanded in a way that reflects African values to encourage a broader understanding and embrace of the holiday?

If a broader understanding is possible, Dr. Karenga’s teachings in Kawaida philosophy – particularly its grounding in “tradition and reason” and “courageous questioning” – requires us to pursue it for this purpose.

In that context – “courageous questioning is a righteous calling into question, seeking answers and offering criticism of the unjust, constantly seeking and speaking truth to the people and to power, demanding justice and bringing Maat (truth, justice, propriety, harmony, balance, reciprocity, and righteous order) into being without fear of consequences and constant attacks of all kinds – or without deference to debilitating and oppressive conditions, customs, [or] hierarchies…”

Still, in pursuing these aims, it is most important to follow a course where “no fault can be found in [our] character.” There is no negative energy whatsoever in this attempt to increase people’s engagement with Kwanzaa. We seek to build on and expand the reach and impact of Dr. Karenga’s work – not separate him from it. This is, ultimately, an attempt to promote the ethics of sharing by projecting the shared good of Kwanzaa at the highest level.

We hope to create new, positive energy around the holiday, consistent with its meaning and purpose. To do this, we will create positive new engagements with Kwanzaa online including stories about some of the people who helped Dr. Karenga create this important celebration for maximum positive impact on the Black community.

The pivotal question becomes – how do we go about the task of actively engaging these ideas to promote a Kwanzaa Jubilee and increase Black people’s understanding and embrace of the holiday’s mission and meaning?

The best answer is – carefully, and in a thoughtful way that engage with Dr. Karenga’s teachings, as noted. But also, without delay.

So, let us begin…