The War on Kwanzaa...

There is much talk in the news and on various media outlets about the war on Christmas, John Gibson a Fox News analyst penned a book entitled “The War on Christmas”. Bill O’reilly has taken the lead over the last few years in bringing the war on Christmas to the forefront. While this very open and public so-called war on Christmas is happening there is a more silent and sinister war on Kwanzaa being waged and in some cases by the very defenders of Christmas in the so-called war on Christmas.

Kwanzaa was founded by Dr. Maulana Karenga who is the head of the US Organization. Kwanzaa is a seven day long celebration of Family, Community and Culture by African people in America. Kwanzaa is a Swahili word derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means first fruits. Kwanzaa has what is called the The Nguzo Saba (The Seven principles) each assigned a day over the seven day celebration. Those seven principles are; Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self Determination),Ujima (Collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), Imani (faith).

The war on Kwanzaa is currently being spearheaded by Jessie Lee Peterson, a defeated Black man who appears to have no other purpose in life other than being the mouth piece for white supremacy. Jessie is not alone in his attacks on Kwanzaa; Kwanzaa has been attacked over the years by the likes of Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, and Joseph P. Farah and even the good ole Pat Robertson.

The gist of all attacks on Kwanzaa from White Conservatives has to do with its founder Maulana Karenga. Anyone familiar with Maulana’s history knows he is no saint, his US Organization believed it necessary to have violent disagreements with the Black Panther Party and stand accused of killing two Black Panther Party members. Dr. Karenga is a convicted felon for his abuse and torture of two Black women whom he stripped naked and beat with an electrical chord and a baton based on his belief that they tried to poison him. Maulana served four years in prison for his crime; a crime in of it self considering the abuse he handed out but I like most Black folk in America am mindful that crimes committed against Black folk does not warrant prison time like crimes committed against a white person.

The War on Kwanzaa has taken on a life of it’s on with the anti-Kwanzaa website “Christocentric” run by Carlotta Marrow. This site is dedicated to the complete removal and destruction of Kwanzaa. Christocentric takes the position that Kwanzaa is an anti-religious holiday and no Christian should celebrate Kwanzaa. Christocentric along with the apologist Lashawn Barber believes Kwanzaa is of all things a Pagan Holiday, unlike any before it. This is laughable when Kwanzaa is juxtaposed with the pagan roots of most American Holidays.

When one looks over all the attacks on Kwanzaa, it appears as if these attacks are being heralded from that position that Kwanzaa is an affront to white folk. Kwanzaa is consistently spoken of as a racist, Marxist and socialist holiday that seeks to separate the races, as if there exist a unity between Black and white folk today that can be severed by Kwanzaa. Referring to Kwanzaa as Marxist and Socialist does not have anything to do with how Black folk view Kwanzaa and everything to do with how white folk view those particular political ideologies.

Kwanzaa is not a threat to anyone or anything and the seven principles of Kwanzaa can be useful in the day to day lives of Black folk and celebrating something that one from amongst us made up does not need the approval of white folk or their Black minions. Black Unity of any kind spoken or unspoken will always bee seen as a threat, and white folk understand the unifying effect that Kwanzaa can have. Kwanzaa is not anti-Christian, Anti-Islam or about celebrating Dr. Karenga; it however is about Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Who is opposed to those things spreading amongst Black folk in America and in the Diaspora.