Creativity and Faith...Happy Kwanzaa

On the 6th day of Kwanzaa we celebrated Kuumba... Creativity.  We are encouraged to do always as much as we can, in the way that we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it.

Today on the 7th and final day of Kwanzaa we celebrate Imani...Faith.  Today we are reminded to believe with all of our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Find out more about Kwanzaa: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Nia...Purpose

On this 5th day of Kwanzaa we celebrate Nia, Purpose.  This day we focus on making our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

 Find out more about Kwanzaa: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Symbols of Kwanzaa

Ujamaa... Cooperative Economics

On today this fourth day of Kwanzaa, we celebrate Ujamaa, Cooperative Economics. We are encouraged to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses, and to profit from them together.

In the spirit of Ujamaa, I wanted to highlight a few black owned small businesses that I personally patron across the country.

Virtual Leap
Trinita McCormick, Owner
Raleigh, North Carolina
http://virtualleapvas.com/index.html
Virtual Leap is a virtual administrative professional company where we give you the JUMP on the competition! What is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome in the day of a business owner? They need more time to get everything accomplished! Our primary goal at Virtual LEAP is to free up more TIME in the day of small business owners, entrepreneurs and busy individuals to focus on true revenue generating activity. How do we create more time? We create more time by performing the administrative tasks that while necessary to support the business, do not alone generate profit for the business owner.

The Cookie Lady's Bakery & Cafe
Necola Adams, Owner
Merced, California
https://www.facebook.com/cookieladysbakery
Mrs. Adams is back, creating "COOKIES WITH AN ATTITUDE" as well as delicious lunch menu for dining in or carry out. You can even enjoy our most convenient free delivery service. MRS ADAMS has tried her recipes from MERCED to HOLLYWOOD, serving gourmet & deli delights to family, friends and to the STARS!!

Divine Creations Hair Designs

Kay Owens, CEO and Expert Stylist
Kesalynn Wiley, CFO
Tira Merrick (not the owner but my favorite stylist in the salon:) )
http://www.divinecreationshairdesigns.com
Divine Creations Hair Designs…the dream of two sisters, who turned their vision into reality.
Fifty years ago their grandmother, Lady Eloise, worked hard to open her first salon called Reed's Beauty Salon. It didn't take long for hair to become second nature to eldest sister, Kay, who spent her days growing up in the salon and attained a passion for it. Ten years later, Kay struck out on her own, knowing her younger sister shared the dream of running her own business and had a vision for success. With Kay's experience as an expert stylist and Kesalynn's (Kesa) education as a Finance major, the siblings collaborated and opened Divine Creations Hair Designs. Their goal was to offer unique services, otherwise lacking in other salons and open 7 Days a Week.  Together with each other's expertise, they generated a formula for success. Today, Divine Creations is a viable business ran and managed by Kay Owens, Expert Stylist & CEO and Kesalynn Wiley, middle sister & CFO. Thus, from the hard work of a grandmother, to the dream of sisters, through more hard work and prayer…they turned their vision into reality.

Symbols of Kwanzaa

Find out more about Kwanzaa: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Ujima...Collective Work and Responsibility

Today, on the third day of Kwanzaa, reflect on Ujima.

 
UJIMA
Ujima, pronounced "oo-GEE-mah" means Collective Work and Responsibility where we are encouraged to build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.  This day reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.

Symbols of Kwanzaa

In the Symbols of Kwanzaa picture to the left, the crops are the Mazao which are symbolic of African harvest celebrations and of the rewards of productive and collective labor.



Find out more about Kwanzaa: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Kugichagula....Day of Self-Determination

Symbols of Kwanzaa

Today is the second day of Kwanzaa where we focus on
Kugichagula which is Self-Determination.

In the Symbols of Kwanzaa picture to the right, the candle holder is the Kinara which is symbolic of our roots, our parent people -- continental Africans.

Kugichagula...Day of Self-Determination

Kugichagula, pronounced "koo-jee-cha-goo-LEE-ah" means to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.














Find out more about Kwanzaa: http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org

Umoja...Day of Unity

Happy Kwanzaa!!!

Symbols of Kwanzaa

Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, an annual seven day cultural festival celebrating the African American people, their culture and their heritage.  Derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits", Kwanzaa has its roots in the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations. However, its modern history begins in 1966 when it was developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga. Inspired by the civil rights struggles of the 1960's, Dr. Karenga conceived a holiday that would bring African Americans together in celebration of their black culture.  Each day of Kwanzaa represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa...the first is Umoja.

In the Symbols of Kwanzaa picture above, the cup is the Unity Cup or Kikombe cha Umoja, which is symbolic of the foundational principle and practice of unity which makes all else possible.

Kwanzaa

Umoja...Day of Unity

Umoja, pronounced "oo-MOE-jah", is a day of unity in which we are encouraged to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.  On Umoja, we are reminded that each member of the family, and by extension the community, is constituted by a web of interpersonal relationships. The health and possibilities of the family and community, therefore, is dependent upon the quality of relationship within the family and community.










Here is the link to the original Kwanzaa website:  http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
Link to previous EH blogposts on Kwanzaa: http://experiencinghistory.blogspot.com/2010/12/kwanzaa-founded-in-1966-was.html

Happy Kwanzaa!!!

Kwanzaa, founded in 1966, was originally meant to be alternative to the commercialism of Christmas.  Even though it was originally intended to be an alternative to Christmas, many African-Americans recognize both holidays focusing on the principles of Kwanzaa as a cultural holiday while still recognizing their faith in Christmas celebrations.  Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles:

Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems, and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani (Faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.