Commentary: Perceptions of Kwanzaa

Piece by O.C. Wami. Comments by A.R.P.

Y'all aren't gonna like this one but... Kwanzaa is bullshit. Yup, I said it.

"Shocking title I'm sure -but it's how I feel. If you know me well this is NO surprise to you.

This so called holiday was created by Mulanga Karenga a "militant black revolutionary". Just a few year after creating this "holi"day he was convicted of torturing two BLACK women who were apart of his cul.. I mean group the United Slaves. He Burned them with hot irons, hit them with electric cords, made them drink detergent, etc., also United Slaves low-key beefed with Black Panthers... two of them killed Black Panthers on the campus of UCLA sometime in the 60's.

According to karenga its created to give Black people a holiday to celebrate instead of celebrating the "white man's holiday" of Christmas. So as a Christian, I feel like I shouldn't celebrate any Christmas alternative. While each day in Kwanzaa has a nice name that sounds commendable, the guiding principle behind Kwanzaa is based on race, not on faith in the one true living God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some say , well Jesus wasn't even born in December, but I mean he was born so if there is a time to set aside and acknowledge it, Imma do that. No really knows when he was born though.

Karenga based this holiday on "AFRICAN" harvest or first fruit (bullshit cause not one African I know celebrates it, and Im sure many never even heard of it). Though if you really look at a Kwanzaa set up your quickly reminded of a Jewish Hannakah Minora (sp).... well, I am.

So before you dust off your "agbada" or your tiger/leopard/zebra kin "African clothing" or your dyshiki (sp) to rock it once a year please "do your research"... i love that phrase. I did and this is what I found. My friends have always seen me squirm at the mention of Kwanzaa, I never explained why, if you don't know... now ya know. Theres a lot more to say but I know many wont read.

White friends ... if you ever say happy kwanzaa to me our friendship may be in question...lol"

Comment:
I read this piece (a note) on Facebook, and honestly, I didn't have a problem with it. This is some young woman's opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, I looked at the comments to her note (not posted here) and saw that she was receiving a lot of accolades for her research into the subject, as well as being lauded for breaking down this issue and providing information for those who didn't know... This is where the problem comes in... Her post is rife with factual errors... :-/ I tried posting responses to clarify some of these issues, but everything I wrote was wholely ignored... so, I will post them myself, because I can.

My reponse(s):

Thank you for highlighting the Kwanzaa tradition as the holidays approach! Kwanzaa is in fact an invented secular holiday, as you stated. It was in no means meant to replace Christmas, but to create a non-western themed tradition for persons descended from the African Diaspora. Kwanzaa emerged from a time of Cultural pride, exploration and contestation, and the fact that the tradition remains salient today speaks volumes about its ingenuity, and the continued desire of Black persons in America to appropriate their own socio-cultural space. The appellation "United Slaves" was a pejorative name appropriated by enemies of Karenga and his organization, which later came to enjoy popular use and recognition, however, Karenga intended the name "Us" as a rhetorical tool to invoke an "Us vs. Them" dichotomy.

I personally think that Kwanzaa is a revolutionary idea, and though it may be misused or misrepresented, and though the founder is HIGHLY controversial, it is a unique tradition (no more generic than most other cultural forms) that can be used by black families to reject the commercialization of Christmas and focus on family, community and our Africanness.

The principles behind Kwanzaa: "One of its central tenets is that culture is the fundamental source of a people's identity, purpose and direction. Thus, Kawaida is, in fact, a continuous dialog with African culture, asking questions and seeking answers to central and enduring concerns of the African and human community. At the heart of this project is the continuing quest to define and become the best of what it means to be both African and human in the fullest sense. This involves an ongoing search for models of excellence and paradigms of possibilities in every area of human life" http://www.us-organization.org/

And in response to several posts (including above article) that suggest that First Fruits is not an African holiday or tradition: "In Swaziland, the Ncwala Festival (first fruits) is the most important and colourful occasion of the year, held in December. The Swazi people have a strong allegiance to their king who forms the central focal point of this festival. It is a chance to honour the royal family as a source of fertility for the country."http://www.gov.sz/home.asp?pid=1254

For an academic take.

An interesting book on Karenga, US, black nationalism, Kwanzaa... Fighting for Us: Maulana Karenga, the US Organization, and Black Cultural Nationalism: by Scot Brown, Clayborne Carson

This Christmas, give Unwrapped gifts!

This Christmas, give an Unwrapped gift!
Want to give a really moooo-ving gift this Christmas? Try buying a cow for a needy family... for only $75! Maybe that is a little pricey for you... but maybe you have $20 burning a hole in your pocket. With $20, you could purchase water jugs, hygiene kits, or even irrigate a farmer's land for TWO whole months! I know, I know, you want to know how? How can I, an ordinary citizen, do such extraordinary things?

Easy.

Oxfam America.

What is Oxfam America?

"Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization. Founded in 1970, we have been providing lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and social injustice in the US and around the world for more than 35 years. Oxfam America works in over 26 countries to change the world one community at a time--by helping poor people use their knowledge and power to transform their lives. We are part of Oxfam International, a confederation of 13 Oxfam organizations, which expands our collective reach to more than 120 countries. Together, we make a global impact." (taken from Oxfam site)

Ok, so that was the PC version. Basically, Oxfam allows you to change lives. The gift of a cow mean that a family has fresh milk to drink, free lawn care, surplus milk to sell in the market place, and if they can mate the cow, income from the sale of calves. Cows also provide food that can make the difference between a family starving or surviving. And that is just the cows!You can donate sheep, camels, crocodiles (no, that was not a typo) or for those with more "vegetarian sensibilities", you can give the gift of FIFTY trees, or sponsor an entire garden. Gifts range in price from just under $20 to more than $500, so any level of sponsorship is possible...

The program is an excellent opportunity to give someone a unique gift... Imagine the look on mom's face when she recieves a card saying that someone has recieved a cow on her behalf! Or the joy on your girlfriend's face when she opens her card showing the camel that has been recieve in her name! Oh the joy you could spread this Christmas!Gifts range from the improbable (crocodiles) to the practical, such as starting a coffee mill, a soap making business, or even training activists in legal or gender rights. Whatever your cup of tea is, Oxfam has something for you...

So, this Christmas, give someone a gift that keeps giving, one that is unwrapped, one that is from Oxfam.

Micro-Loans save lives

This article by E. Pankey of Diseducation.com

Would you believe me if I told you that you could dramatically improve the lives of others in the developing world for free? Well, you should. Let me explain…
Grace, a woman in Uganda supported herself and her four children by making and selling peanut butter. She grounded the peanuts by hand, a labor intensive process. Grace could only make small batches of peanut butter because she had no way perserve the product before sale. A loan of $475 revolutionized her business and outlook on life. She was able to buy an electric grinder and a refrigerator to store her peanut butter before sale. With the new technology, she was able to expand her business, increase her profit and better the opportunities for her children. Grace was able to pay back her loan in full in only 6 months.
This endeavor was made possible through Grace’s determined spirit and micro lending. Micro lending is a relatively new practice which seeks to connect entrepreneurs in developing countries with investors from developed countries. You might say, “Isn’t that what the World Bank does?”. Well, "Yes", but the differenc is one of scale. The loan amounts are small, $200 to $2000 and the interest rate is 0%. This allows individuals like you and me to participate in the process as underwriters with loans as low as $25. The middle man is virtually cut out, so you don't have to worry about corrupt governments diverting funds.
"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day.Teach him how to fish and he'll eat forever."
The reality is that there are literally millions of men and women like Grace, who are just waiting for the opportunity to help themsleves, but they need our help to do so. Micro lending offers loans to those who otherwise would have access to loans with prohibitably high interest rates, or no access to loans at all.
KIVA, http://www.kiva.org/, is an internet clearinghouse for entrepeneurs from across the developing world. You can go to the site, read about loan requests, the individuals making them, and place a loan via credit card with PayPal. The loans are followed by a loan officer and you can track the progress of the recipient via email updates. As the loan is paid back, you can either withdraw your money or better yet, reinvest it in another project.
Micro lending gives fortunate people like ourselves the opportunity to better the lives of others with little risk, through a transparent organization. Micro loans for peanut butter, grocery, cattle and fishing business aren’t “sexy”, but they are vital. We can effect change and watch as it happens for less than the price of dinner and a movie. That’s powerful.
As the holidays approach, I can think of no better way to spread goodwill to my fellow sisters and brothers in distant lands than with the opportunity to make their dreams come true.
Currently KIVA is active in Africa, Central America, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
“Put your money where your heart is and get your money back”
Check out http://www.kiva.org/ for yourself.

The hypocrisy of our "democracy"

"I'm not an ultraconservative when it comes to homosexuals. I have some wonderful friends who are homosexual, but I think marriage is between a man and a woman," said Ann Potocnak, 37, of Prince William County.

Alexis says: "I'm not ultraconservative when it comes to [blacks, latinos, native americans, jews, hispanics]. I have some WONDERFUL friends who are [blacks, latinos, native americans, jews, hispanics], but I think marriage is between two white people..."

I'm sorry, I didn't notice any difference in the logic here... Why should YOU have a right that someone else doesn't? I respect YOUR religious beliefs until you decide that they trump MY civil rights...

Next....

"I feel [same-sex couples] should have rights as far as benefits are concerned, but I feel marriage should be between a man and a woman," said Chris Murray, 36, a mortgage broker from Fairfax County. He said he realized that there was a chance the amendment would lead to the loss of legal rights for same-sex couples, but "you can't vote 'maybe' or 'kind of,' " he said.

So, basically, if you are gay, F your civil rights. I am an educated mortgage broker, but it never dawned on me that amendments and bills could be written so as to preserve specific rights, while excluding others. You don't say!?! Well gee, if I had known that... I wouldn't have just come off like an a-hole. (Yes, Lexi's a little annoyed)


The problem with our obsession with democracy is this: We are ruled by the will of the people, which, in some cases is probably good. However, when we are talking about minority groups, and protecting the rights of individuals within those groups, you are asking small portions of the population (<10% gay, for example) to persuade a majority of the public to see things their way. Same goes for immigrants (CAFTA and deportation), disabled persons (think stem cell research), and any other bona fide minority group with a social concern. We spend so much energy trying to "spread democracy", while patting ourselves on the back about how "fair" things are here, but they are only fair when you stand a chance at getting your point heard and considered. When you are willing to sacrifice someone else's rights to prove yours, how committed to "freedom" are you really?

Thank God we have civil rights guarantees! Oh wait... I wasn't using my civil rights anyway...


excerpts from Washington Post article.