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Originally Posted by YNKYH8R
And I probably didn't learn about Qwanza because religious historical background was not a part of world geography. And it wasn't like Qwanza was a conversation piece either. Heck, I didn't hear about AIDs till 1989.
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Kwanzaa stresses culture
Celebration tells students of 'heritage'
BY CHUCK HUSTMYRE
Southern University psychology Professor Reginald Rackley explains the significance of Sankofa, the Kwanzaa bird, to an audience Saturday at the Scotlandville Branch Library. The meaning of Sankofa, Rackley said, is to search the past in order to move forward.
Despite coming shortly after Hanukkah and Christmas, Kwanzaa is not about religion, it's about culture, said Southern University psychology Professor Reginald Rackley. Rackley was the organizer of an educational program on Kwanzaa on Saturday at the Scotlandville Branch Library.
"It's a cultural holiday for African Americans," Rackley said. "I think it's important to teach kids about their cultural heritage."
The program was sponsored by the Southern University chapter of Psi Chi, a national honor society for psychology students.
The seven-day celebration of Kwanzaa is Dec. 26 to Jan 1.
Those who attended the program Saturday learned that each of the seven days of Kwanzaa focuses on one of its seven founding principles. Seven candles arranged in a single candleholder symbolize those principles. There are one black candle, three red candles and three green candles.
The observance of Kwanzaa starts with the lighting of the black candle, which stands at the center of the display and above the others. For each of the remaining six days, the red and green candles are lit alternately.
The black candle represents the unity of black people, Rackley said. While the red candles symbolize "the blood sweat and struggle we've gone through in this country." The green ones, he said, represent the land and the hope for the future.
Families are supposed to discuss one of the seven core principles of Kwanzaa during each day of the observance. However, Rackley stressed that those principles are not limited to just the weeklong celebration. "You can celebrate those principles every day of the year," he said.
The last day of Kwanzaa is usually marked by a feast, what Rackley described as a potluck dinner that brings family and friends together.
"This is a time we get to reflect on the things we've done and feel good about," Rackley said.
There are a lot of contributions black people have made to American culture and society that are not talked about in school, Rackley said. There's much more than just Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the bus ride, he added.
As an example, Rackley displayed a poster during the program that credited black inventors with a host of creations. Among the long list of inventions are the typewriter, the traffic light, the pencil sharpener, the helicopter, the golf tee and the refrigerator.
The word "Kwanzaa" is rooted in the Swahili language, and is derived from a phrase meaning "first fruits." The word signifies the first harvest of the year.
Kwanzaa was established as an African-American holiday in 1966 by California State University Professor Maulana Karenga.
Karenga described the holiday as a "celebration of family, community and culture."
Maya Mingo, 22, is a psychology student at Southern. She was one of the speakers at the program. Asked why she and the other Southern students who participated were willing to give up a Saturday to talk about Kwanzaa to a group of strangers, she said, "We feel the responsibility to give back to our community and to educate and encourage young people so they can be in a position to better themselves."
Janice Charleston, also a psychology student, said her grandmother celebrates Kwanzaa, but it never caught on with her generation.
What does Kwanzaa mean to her now?
"It means celebrating black people as a whole and celebrating as a family," she said.
Bernie McKines, 52, came to the program to see what Kwanzaa is all about. "I'm here to learn," she said.
McKines' sister is a teacher in Texas who celebrates Kwanzaa each year in her classroom.
"I thought it was great. I'll be able to tell my sister I understand now," said McKines, adding that she intends to teach the youth group at her church about Kwanzaa.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/...anzaa001.shtml
On the Net :
www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/7principles.html
NGUZO SABA
(The Seven Principles)
Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and 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 brother's and sister's 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.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.** a 4 day work week & sex slaves ~ I say Tyt for PRESIDENT! 
Not to be taken internally, literally or seriously ....Suki ebaynni IS THAT BETTER ?
ARMPIT
I've got to ask, did you look to Clinton for moral leadership? 
This excuses cultural ignorance ?? I am an Acadian Catholic - I am still familar with Kwanzaa, Hanukkah & Rammadan
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