The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kwanzaa celebrates community, culture
Dating back to its founding in the 1960s, Kwanzaa celebrates a common history of the black experience.
On Dec. 10, Oberlin College welcomed Kwanzaa founder Maulana Karenga in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Afrikan Heritage House.
Karenga present a lecture, “Living Kwanzaa and the Seven Principles: An All-Seasons Celebration and Practice of the Good.”
Started by Karenga in 1966, he said Kwanzaa brings a cultural message that speaks to the best of what it means to be African and human in the fullest sense.
And the celebration starts with lighting of the kinara, which holds a great deal of significance.
A kinara holds seven candles, three red ones on the left, three green ones on the right with a black candle in the center.
Each night during Kwanzaa, a candle is lit.
The black center candle is lit first, and then it alternates between the red and green candles, starting with the ones on the outside and moving inward.
Each candle lit represents one of the seven principles of the Nguzo Saba, which are umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose) and Imani (faith).
Karenga’s lecture was organized by Candice Raynor, a professor of Africana Studies at Oberlin, and director and faculty in residence of Afrikan Heritage House.
Raynor said the experience was a full circle moment for her.
“My Intro to Africana
Studies course textbook as an undergrad was written by Dr. Karenga, so to meet him now that I am an Africana Studies educator and invite him to Oberlin was quite meaningful,” she said.
Karenga also visited Oberlin in 1977, 1980 and 1983.
“Kwanzaa is about celebrating black family, community and culture, which I think anyone can appreciate and everyone can get something from,” Raynor said. “Like other African American holidays such as Juneteenth and MLK Day, Kwanzaa gives everyone who observes it the opportunity to learn more and think more about black people, and the black experience reminds us of the importance of standing together and gives us the space to think about what we can do to be part of the change we all want to see in our society.
“Considering the current climate in this country, I think taking every opportunity to focus our hearts and minds on those things as a campus and a community are of the utmost importance.”