Habari Gani!! What’s the news today?! Ujima!!
Today we light the third candle to celebrate Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)!! This means “to build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.”
Through Ujima we recognize the fact that without collective work and struggle, progress is impossible and liberation is a far distant memory. This is when we must truly embody the idea of “it takes a village.”
On this day, I reflect on the impact of those we lost this year, especially those who made such a great impact on our local, national, and global communities. Their commitment and efforts to the cause will always be remembered. One can only hope we continue to be inspired to follow in their footsteps and build on their legacies!
Now when thinking about how you can celebrate Ujima today, consider teaming up with members of your neighborhood to help renovate a community center, offer to shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk, or even just help out around the house more often.
As a way of sharing with my community, here are a few events coming up that are celebrating the Kwanzaa holiday!
- Detroit, MI-The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
- December 28th… 12 – 3 p.m. | Kinara Lighting Ceremony & Intergenerational Family Programming at The Wright Kinara lighting ceremony with Xavier Jack; Storytime with Tatjana Jackson; Face Painting with Sandra Epps, and screening of Black Panther; all day Kwanzaa food drive … 5 – 7 p.m. | Kwanzaa Celebration Cultural Showcase with Let’s Get Tribal at The Wright
- Richmond, VA Capital City Kwanzaa Festival (Greater Richmond Convention Center)
- December 30th… 1-7 pm With a theme of “Legacy As Balance”, this year’s festival includes entertainment, food, and events to embrace and teach the significance of the Kwanzaa holiday. Activities include a lighting of the Kinara, an African Market, workshops, performances, and Watoto Kwanzaa, especially for children.
- Atlanta/Stonecrest, GA-New Black Wall Street Market
- December 30th…12-6 pm Taste of the Diaspora Each year, through a wonderful display of flags and cuisine students learn and share their knowledge of Kwanzaa and the power of the African Diaspora. Show your support to the students and explore the wonderful, richness of our common ancestry through food!
To close out today, check out some fun facts about Kwanzaa below:
- The holiday began to see greater public recognition as the first Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Synthia Saint James, was issued by the United States Post Office in 1997
- On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, there is the Karamu feast which is a joyous gathering that transcends culinary delights, embodying the spirit of community and shared celebration. Families and communities come together to celebrate abundance and unity by feasting on traditional African and African-American dishes. Karamu provides a platform for storytelling, laughter, and cultural exchange in addition to the culinary experience. [Typical Kwanzaa foods include corn, yams, avocado, dates, beans, greens, rice, and okra dishes.]
- Kwanzaa ceremonies were initially held primarily on college campuses and in Black churches. College campuses, which serve as hotspots for activism and cultural expression, were early adopters of Kwanzaa celebrations. Additionally, Black churches further embraced the celebration as a way to foster cultural identity and unity.
Remember, “the challenge of history and culture then, is through collective work and responsibility, to restore that which was damaged or destroyed, and to raise up and reconstruct.”
See you all tomorrow!!
Black Future Feminist 