This offering is in rightful homage and deep appreciation, not only for Nana Ida B. Wells-Barnett, but also for the awesome and audacious women of Us, the Malaika and Matamba, the Simba and Senut who created and put forth in thought, dialog, discourse and practice what we now call Kawaida womanism.
More than 50 years after its inception in 1966, Kwanzaa is still being observed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day by African people around the world. African American Baby Boomers, who came of age during the fiery times of the Black Power movement of the 1960s, cherish and regularly practice Kwanzaa to celebrate and honor black unity and traditional African values. While many of the younger generation of Black Americans embrace Kwanzaa’s seven principles, they are troubled by its creator’s past. Here are some things you should know about Kwanzaa.
1. Kwanzaa is a cultural celebration, not a religious one.