The History Behind Kwanzaa
Embedded Files
Images of First Fruit Celebrations within African Countries.
African American Citizens looking over damge from the Watts Riots.
1965 - WATTS RIOTS
On August 11, 1965, Marquette Frye, an African-American motorist on parole for shoplifting, was pulled over for alleged reckless driving. A minor roadside argument broke out, which then escalated into a fight with police. Community members witnessed the police hurt a pregnant woman, and six days of civil unrest followed.
Nearly 14,000 members of the California Army National Guard helped suppress the uprising, which resulted in 34 deaths and over $40 million in property damage.
Corn is shown as a symbol of offspring which are represented by the ears of corn.
1973 - THE FIRST KARAMU FEAST
Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Faith) is a feast that takes place on December 31, the sixth day of the Kwanzaa period. The Karamu feast was developed in Chicago during a 1971 citywide movement of Pan-African organizations. It was proposed by Hannibal Afrik of Shule ya Watoto as a community-wide promotional and educational campaign. The initial Karamu Ya Imani occurred
The seven candles represent the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa or Nguzo Saba.
MATUNDA YA KWANZA
The word Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase,
"matunda ya kwanza" or first fruits, referring to First fruits or Harvest festivals that are found throughout Africa.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga to:
Reaffirm and restore African heritage and culture.
To introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba or the Seven Principles.
To serve as a nationally celebrated communal and non-heroic holiday.
As an act of cultural self-determination.
The actual concepts and symbols of Kwanzaa are from traditions and practices found throughout Africa and the African diaspora. The language used is Kiswahili, the lingua franca of the Great Lakes region of East Africa and one of Africa's most widely spoken languages.
A framed U.S. postage stamp honoring Kwanzaa.
1997 - INSTITUTIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By the 1990s, Kwanzaa was being celebrated on a much more widespread basis and being further acknowledged by government institutions. In 1997 Bill Clinton gave the first presidential declaration marking the holiday. In his statement, Clinton declared that "As America embarks on a season of renewal and reconciliation, the principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- ring true not only for African Americans, but also for all Americans." The first Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Synthia Saint James, was issued by the United States Post Office in 1997 as well. A second stamp design was released in 2004.
The images displayed near the top of this page are examples of First Fruit Celebrations throughout Africa that are also celebrated by the African American-inspired holiday known as Kwanzaa. The ideas and principles are cited from pre-existing African Cultural Traditions and Groups. The holiday centers around First Fruit celebrations but is not limited to one specific cultural group or nation. It is expansive and open to the recognition of others as it is a Pan-African Holiday meant to highlight all groups associated with African Origin.
The History Behind Kwanzaa
Pan African Cultural Movements Leading Up To Kwanzaa
Summary
Warren, N. (1990). Pan-African Cultural Movements: From Baraka to Karenga. The Journal of Negro History, 75(1/2), 16–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2717686
Full
Warren, N. (1990). Pan-African Cultural Movements: From Baraka to Karenga. The Journal of Negro History, 75(1/2), 16–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2717686
Emergence of Kwanzaa
Summary
Flores-Peña, Y., & Evanchuk, R. (1997). Kwanzaa: The Emergence of an African-American Holiday. Western Folklore, 56(3/4), 281–294. https://doi.org/10.2307/1500280
Full
Flores-Peña, Y., & Evanchuk, R. (1997). Kwanzaa: The Emergence of an African-American Holiday. Western Folklore, 56(3/4), 281–294. https://doi.org/10.2307/1500280
First Fruit Celebrations in Africa
Full
Raum, O. F. (1967). The Interpretation of the Nguni First Fruit Ceremony. Paideuma, 13, 148–163. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40341441
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