Celebration explores meaning of Kwanzaa
By Lynn Zerschling lzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Saturday, December 27, 2008
Flora Lee of the NAACP speaks during a Kwanzaa celebration at the Wilbur Aalfs Library in Sioux City. (Sioux City Journal photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- In describing how some African-Americans dress in traditional outfits to celebrate Kwanzaa, Patricia Pitts modeled a gele -- a headwrap with a matching scarf.
"It's something my mother made me," Pitts explained Friday during Sioux City's first public Kwanzaa celebration, at Wilbur Aalfs Library. "It represents kings and queens."
Pitts, her husband and two sons attended the event sponsored by the Sioux City Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the African American Cultural Museum, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Flora Lee, a member of the museum's board and the NAACP, and her friend Saundra Hayes led the celebration.
"I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about what Kwanzaa is," Lee said. "It is not a religious celebration like Christmas and Hanukkah."
She compared Kwanzaa to Oktoberfest, celebrated by Americans of German descent. Kwanzaa is the Swahili word for harvest or first fruits. The seven-day event helps blacks recall their African heritage, honor their family and celebrate their culture. Scholar and civil rights activist Maulana Karenga started Kwanzaa in 1966.
Hayes said she sees the event as a way to honor her ancestors, including her grandmother, Olivia Bolton of Sioux City, who just turned 108.
To the two dozen adults and children in attendance, Lee and Hayes explained the seven principles of Kwanzaa and what they represent. Stephanie Warnstadt, 8, said she had heard Lee speak at her school, Leeds Elementary, and wanted to learn more about Kwanzaa.
On each day, a candle is lighted in a kinara, or holder, that resembles the Jewish menorah.
Lee explained that the black candle is lit on the first day of the celebration, Dec. 26, which symbolizes black people. On each succeeding day, either a green or red candle is lit. Green symbolizes the land, and red represents the "blood that runs through our veins and our children."
A basket of fruits and vegetables represents the harvest. On Dec. 31, families gather for a feast that includes black-eyed peas to represent good luck and greens to represent prosperity. Hayes added that each person talks about an ancestor during the ritual passing of a cup filled with juice or water.
The celebration, Lee said, "makes me renew my faith in myself and in other people."
Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa represents a principle, and Flora Lee said discussing them is "almost like making a New Year's resolution."
Unity. Representing people coming together as a community and maintaining unity in the family, nation and race.
Self-determination: Determining how to make yourself better.
Collective work and responsibility: Discussing how you can become an outstanding citizen in your community and helping those who have problems to reach solutions.
Cooperative economics: Supporting black business owners and those of any race who employ minorities, the elderly and young people.
Purpose: Discussing what you can accomplish to improve yourself and community.
Creativity: Finding ways to reach out and help others; creative thinking.
Faith: Contemplating God "as we understand God and renewing our faith in ourselves," Lee said. "It's something unseen."
"It's something my mother made me," Pitts explained Friday during Sioux City's first public Kwanzaa celebration, at Wilbur Aalfs Library. "It represents kings and queens."
Pitts, her husband and two sons attended the event sponsored by the Sioux City Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the African American Cultural Museum, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Flora Lee, a member of the museum's board and the NAACP, and her friend Saundra Hayes led the celebration.
"I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about what Kwanzaa is," Lee said. "It is not a religious celebration like Christmas and Hanukkah."
She compared Kwanzaa to Oktoberfest, celebrated by Americans of German descent. Kwanzaa is the Swahili word for harvest or first fruits. The seven-day event helps blacks recall their African heritage, honor their family and celebrate their culture. Scholar and civil rights activist Maulana Karenga started Kwanzaa in 1966.
Hayes said she sees the event as a way to honor her ancestors, including her grandmother, Olivia Bolton of Sioux City, who just turned 108.
To the two dozen adults and children in attendance, Lee and Hayes explained the seven principles of Kwanzaa and what they represent. Stephanie Warnstadt, 8, said she had heard Lee speak at her school, Leeds Elementary, and wanted to learn more about Kwanzaa.
On each day, a candle is lighted in a kinara, or holder, that resembles the Jewish menorah.
Lee explained that the black candle is lit on the first day of the celebration, Dec. 26, which symbolizes black people. On each succeeding day, either a green or red candle is lit. Green symbolizes the land, and red represents the "blood that runs through our veins and our children."
A basket of fruits and vegetables represents the harvest. On Dec. 31, families gather for a feast that includes black-eyed peas to represent good luck and greens to represent prosperity. Hayes added that each person talks about an ancestor during the ritual passing of a cup filled with juice or water.
The celebration, Lee said, "makes me renew my faith in myself and in other people."
Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa represents a principle, and Flora Lee said discussing them is "almost like making a New Year's resolution."
Unity. Representing people coming together as a community and maintaining unity in the family, nation and race.
Self-determination: Determining how to make yourself better.
Collective work and responsibility: Discussing how you can become an outstanding citizen in your community and helping those who have problems to reach solutions.
Cooperative economics: Supporting black business owners and those of any race who employ minorities, the elderly and young people.
Purpose: Discussing what you can accomplish to improve yourself and community.
Creativity: Finding ways to reach out and help others; creative thinking.
Faith: Contemplating God "as we understand God and renewing our faith in ourselves," Lee said. "It's something unseen."
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Kraig Wroe wrote on Dec 27, 2008 8:48 PM:
It's time for the black community to end reverse-racism and their own exploitation by evil men like Dr. Karenga, the "creator" of this sham who served time in prison for raping two women. I'm especially shocked that Lee would be party to this. It's embarassing for the black community - not liberating. Time to get informed people - this is no holiday that should be honored by a thinking people. Study where this really came from...a neo-black panther marxist that would enjoy listening to Rev. Wright preach things the Journal won't let me put in quotes. "
yeah right wrote on Dec 27, 2008 5:43 PM:
Steve wrote on Dec 27, 2008 12:12 PM:
Lena wrote on Dec 27, 2008 9:26 AM: