Habari gani? The #BlkTwitterstorians team is back with a special #Kwanzaa #KnowledgeDrop. #Kwanzaa starts today and runs through Jan. 1.
@Crutch4 .The gist of the tweets will come from reading #Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Tradition by Keith A. Mayes. We highly recommend this read if you’re interested in Black Nationalist, Black Power, Holiday-Making, #Kwanzaa, etc. #BlkTwitterstorians
@CollardStudies @Crutch4 First, it’s important to understand that #Kwanzaa was not created in a vacuum. #Kwanzaa is part of a long black tradition of developing holidays and commemorations. #BlkTwitterstorians
@CollardStudies @Crutch4 During the 19th Century, holiday creation was more about inclusion onto the American calendar. Days like Freedom Day (January 1, 1808) celebrated the emancipation of the slave trade. #BlkTwitterstorians
@KRMcCray @CollardStudies @Crutch4 Alternatively, in the 20th Century many black holidays were created out of a mainstream holiday critique, creating a protest calendar. #Kwanzaa vs. Christmas; Umoja Karamu vs. Thanksgiving; Black Solidarity Day vs. Election Day. #BlkTwitterstorians
@KRMcCray @CollardStudies @Crutch4 Before we delve into the specifics re: the founding of the holiday, we want to note that we are aware that some critique of #Kwanzaa exists in part because of founder Mauluana Karenga’s past violence towards Black women.
@KRMcCray @CollardStudies @Crutch4 These critiques are valid and important to unpack. For the sake of this #KnowledgeDrop, Karenga will be noted as a figure in establishing #Kwanzaa, and nothing more. Now back to business #BlkTwitterstorians
@chrisbthinkin @KRMcCray @CollardStudies #Kwanzaa was created during the rise of a Black Power Movement and growing Black consciousness. Mauluana Karenga and the US Organization, sought to define the movement in cultural Black Nationalist terms that emphasized Africa as the source of identity. #BlkTwitterstorians
@Crutch4 @chrisbthinkin @KRMcCray #Kwanzaa first celebrated in 1966. Mayes argues that it’s a “hodgepodge of indigenous African practices placed inside a black American ritual framework.” #BlkTwitterstorians
@CollardStudies @Crutch4 @chrisbthinkin The Nguzo Saba are: Umoja (unity); Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility); Ujamaa (cooperative economics); Nia (purpose); Kuumba (creativity); and Imani (faith). #BlkTwitterstorians #Kwanzaa
@CollardStudies @Crutch4 @chrisbthinkin The Us Organization spelled the #Kwanzaa celebration with 2 "a’s" to differentiate it from the Kiswahili word kwanza, which means ‘first.’ Using 7 letters was also meant to accommodate the 7 principles and the initial 7 children of the organization. #blktwitterstorians
@CollardStudies @Crutch4 @chrisbthinkin Some early #Kwanzaa advocates spelled the word with one “a.” #blktwitterstorians
@KRMcCray @Crutch4 @chrisbthinkin For the first decade, #Kwanzaa was celebrated mostly by black communities and black community organizations. It could be found in community centers, independent black schools, black nationalist churches, and the streets. #BlkTwitterstorians
@CollardStudies @KRMcCray @chrisbthinkin During the 1990s with a national emphasis on multiculturalism and inclusion, #Kwanzaa gained mainstream acceptance with corporations and mainstream Black organizations promoting it. #BlkTwitterstorians
@Crutch4 @CollardStudies @KRMcCray During the 1990s, some black nationalist argued that #Kwanzaa had lost its emphasis on liberation and self-determination as corporations sought to market it. The federal government even had #Kwanzaa stamps.
@chrisbthinkin @Crutch4 @CollardStudies People who historically organized #Kwanzaa programs and those who celebrate it year after year shape its meanings much like its originators. #blktwitterstorians
@chrisbthinkin @Crutch4 @CollardStudies Both Mayes & Karenga have highlighted the importance of local groups in continuing & expanding #Kwanzaa. Such groups included The East (NYC), Ahidiana (NOLA), Institute for Positive Education (Chicago), & Pittsburgh Cong. of African Ppl. #BlkTwitterstorians
@chrisbthinkin @Crutch4 @CollardStudies Rank & file members & community leaders contributed to #Kwanzaa’s growth & development by organizing city-wide celebrations, fundraising, institution building, & literature production. #blktwitterstorians
@chrisbthinkin @Crutch4 @CollardStudies The book covers displayed are images from
WorldCat.org
