It has been over 40 years since the Honorable Dr Maulana Karenga gave to the Pan African world a new vision he called Kwanzaa.Now Kwanzaa has been ridiculed,clowned upon,slandered, hated and even banned.Now the same people have no problem with a ghetto pimp,gangster culture.But these simple little principles were suck a threat.Now there are some issues with Kwanzaa that I have always felt uneasy about.First is it was always presented like the Nation of Islam's program as a reform or rehabilitation movement.In other words you needed some guidance and structure and here it is.So from the beginning mostly brothers and sisters from the bottom of Black America were attracted to it.We were told it was a connection to Africa and its greatness which turned out to be false.Now Kwanzaa ended up being another failed movement going to the cemetery with other failed nationalist movements because of thick headed leaders wrapped up in their own twisted narrow view of the world could not see the writing on the wall.
Where Kwanzaa Failed
Kwanzaa failed in part because it tried to play a game the White man has already mastered.You cannot just reverse the racism and supremecy without having power to back it up.In other words why is Kwanzaa only seven days when we have 365 days in the year?Are we suppose to coon,shuck,and buck dance for the White man 348 days and be good slave and go back to the slave fields the rest?You see the reality of living in a racist white dominated country,is such that the dominate culture will not tolerate dissension from the norm.In other words White people believe their names you proudly wear like good slaves Washington,Cosby,Huxtible,Baker,Brown,Miller,Parker you had better keep if you know what is good for you.If the majority of African Americans never parted from their slave owners names,what made Dr Karenga think they would part with the White man's culture?In this regard we are not to far removed from chattel slavery.Which was about ownership.When you wear the slave owners name you technically are still a slave.It is my quest to explain why we see the situation in our community getting worse.No amount of money can solve these problems.
Dr Karenga and Julius Nyrere of Tanzania were staunch Socialist
Now Socialism has some good points same as capitalism.The problem is neither is good for Africa.Other developing countries like Japan looked at capitalism and socialism and borrowed from both and kept the guiding cultural principles of their culture and heritage.They knew these systems were designed in the West and would not work in Asia and they were right.This is why it is hard to tell if China is communist or capitalist right now.Dr Nyrere of Tanzania nearly destroyed his farming system implementing his Kwanzaa or African Socialism system.The people rebelled and land was taken and people were forced to work on the hated communal farms instead of their own plots of land.So to mention Kwanzaa in many parts of Africa is to invite trouble.The same thing happened here in America we had in the 70's and 80's some good but misguided brothers starting cooperative businesses in the hood.All failed miserably.Simple human individuality,ambition and apathy caused the Kwanzaa business ideas to fail.The solution to modernize Kwanzaa for the new age.For the new African century.
Old Kwanzaa compared to the New Kwanzaa Nguzo Saba Seven Principles
OLD
1 Umoja-Unity
2Kujichagulia-self determination-being able to speak for ourself and define ourself
3Ujima-collective work and responsibility-To build and maintain a community together make anyone's problem everyone's problem and share in all work.
4Ujamaa-cooperative economics-to build and maintain our own stores,shops and businesses and share in the profits together.
5Nia-Purpose-To make it a vocation to build and maintain our community and to restore our people to greatness
6Kuumba-Creativity
7Imani-Faith To believe with all our hearts in God and our faith
Those are the sacred seven Principles of Kwanzaa as told by Dr Karenga.Now I am going to humbly give my suggestion on how to update and make Kwanzaa a dynamic force again.
1Unity is on point
2 Kujichagulia self determination should be at this late date about dual citizenship and and having our community more international.
3Ujima I believe businesses,social groups,employers,teachers,bosses, should use this as a motivation for subordinates to work harder and be more productive.The old way no one is in charge we imagine a world where all responsibility is equally shared.This is socialist fantasy.
4Ujamaa I believe this is the most important redefinition of Kwanzaa.I believe exceptional people should build with like wise people.Business people need to come together and create wealth.They cannot sit around worrying about making unproductive people envious.We need to create a culture of business to business rituals rites and customs.Also societies and fraternities like the Japanese Ziabatsui clans of old.
5Nia-Purpose-Purpose should be what is our constitution,what is our collective goal?Is is begging for civil rights or is it one day being free in a nation of our own.
6Kuumba Creativity should be the artist,musicians,writers,sculptors,designers ect trying to uplife and show the beauty of our people and culture.
7Imani Our faith should be our community commitment to God.And righteousness should be our guiding principles in all decision making.
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