Okay, so picture this: It’s the day after Christmas. December 26, 1966. Everyone’s either passed out on the couch from holiday food comas or out returning terrible gifts. But for a group of Black folks in America, something big is about to go down. Something new, something bold. For the first time ever, they’re celebrating Kwanzaa, a holiday created to honor Black culture, heritage, and community.
Now, let’s talk about why Kwanzaa came to be, because it’s not like somebody just woke up one day and said, “You know what the world needs? Another holiday.” Nah. This came from a place of deep need, a place of struggle, and also, honestly, a place of pride.
It’s 1966, y’all. The Civil Rights Movement is in full swing. Black folks are out here marching, boycotting, fighting for their humanity, for the right to vote, for the right to just exist without someone telling them where they can and can’t be. We’ve got the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act now, but let me tell you, just because something’s written into law doesn’t mean people stop being racist overnight. Black people are still catching hell in this country—systemic racism, economic inequality, police brutality. You name it, we were dealing with it.
And out of all of that came this realization: We need something that’s ours. Something that celebrates who we are, where we come from, and how we’ve survived. Because let’s be real—America was not going to do that for us.
So here comes this brilliant man, Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor, an activist, a man who looked at his people and said, “We deserve a holiday. A time to come together, not just as individuals, but as a whole.” Karenga created Kwanzaa to remind us of our roots—because let’s be honest, America spent a lot of time trying to erase those roots.
Think about it. Black people in America are a melting pot, y’all. We’re an amalgamation of cultures from all over Africa. We came from different tribes, spoke different languages, had different customs, but slavery threw all of that in a blender and hit puree. Slavery didn’t just take our freedom; it tried to erase everything that made us who we were. And all we were left with was this common skin color and the struggle we shared.
Kwanzaa is about reclaiming all of that—the cultures, the traditions, the pride. It’s not just one culture; it’s a celebration of all the cultures we came from and everything that was lost. It’s about honoring the fact that even after all we’ve been through, we’re still here, thriving, creating, building.
Now, Kwanzaa is inspired by traditional African harvest festivals—celebrations of family, community, and the earth’s bounty. The name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits.” And Swahili? That’s a language chosen on purpose because it’s spoken across many parts of Africa and doesn’t carry the baggage of colonization. This was Karenga’s way of saying, “We’re going to honor the African diaspora as a whole.”
Let me break down how Kwanzaa works, because it’s more than just lighting candles and singing songs. The whole celebration is built around seven principles, or the Nguzo Saba. These principles are the foundation of Kwanzaa, and honestly, they’re the blueprint for how to live a strong, thriving life.
- Umoja (Unity): Strive for unity in the family, community, and nation.
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): Define yourself. Name yourself. Don’t let anyone else do it for you.
- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): Build and maintain your community together. Solve problems as a group.
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): Support Black businesses. Build wealth within the community.
- Nia (Purpose): Focus on building and developing the community.
- Kuumba (Creativity): Leave the community better than you found it.
- Imani (Faith): Believe in your people and the righteousness of our struggle.
Each day of Kwanzaa focuses on one of these principles. Families gather, light candles on the kinara, and reflect on what these values mean to them. It’s a time for storytelling, music, dance, food, and yes, sometimes gifts. But it’s not about consumerism—it’s about connection.
Now, let me just address the elephant in the room: Some people love to call Kwanzaa “made up,” like that’s an insult. First of all, ALL holidays are made up. You think Christmas just fell out of the sky fully formed with Santa and reindeer? No, somebody made that up too. And Kwanzaa isn’t about replacing Christmas—it’s about adding something that Black people specifically can call their own.
So what does Kwanzaa mean today? For some, it’s a central part of their identity—a time to reflect, to reconnect, to honor where they come from. For others, it’s not about the rituals but the spirit of the holiday: the pride, the resilience, the creativity of Black culture.
And let me tell you, in a world where holidays are often just excuses to buy things, Kwanzaa is refreshing. It’s not about spending money; it’s about building relationships, building communities, building legacies. And honestly, in a time when divisions in this country are sharper than ever, we could all learn something from the principles of Kwanzaa. Umoja: Unity. Kujichagulia: Self-determination. These aren’t just holiday principles—they’re life principles.
So, December 26, 1966. The first day of Kwanzaa. It wasn’t just about starting a new tradition. It was about saying, We are here. We see ourselves. We celebrate ourselves. And whether you celebrate Kwanzaa or not, that’s something we can all honor. Because in the end, it’s about creating something beautiful out of everything that’s been taken from us—and that’s a lesson everyone can take to heart.
