Unity/Umoja: Commitment, duty, and responsibility to make every effort to promote and   practice harmony and togetherness in the family, community, nation and race, minimizing  behavior and actions which bring about and foster conflict and dissension.”

Kwanzaa was created to introduce and reinforce the 7 Principles and reinforced the bonds of family and community.  The Seven Principles were viewed and still remain the “moral minimum” set of values which African Americans need to strengthen and make more effective families and family systems. The values embedded in the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa are interlocking and align together and synergistically produce an outcome greater than each of the values isolated individually.

To be sure, the 7 Principles habitually default in duties and responsibilities. Duties are how the individual members of the family and community see their socio-ethical roles in relation to the interest and welfare of others, and responsibilities are the reciprocal obligations these members have to each other. As we discuss and present each of the principles, we will show their relational character to each other, and to family and neighborhood.

The Unity/Umoja principle see persons as embedded in a context of social relationships and interdependence (, Collective Work and Responsibility/Ujima, Cooperative Economic/Ujamaa). Consequently, it see the family and community not as a mere association of individuals persons whose interest and ends are subject to agreement only by chance, but as persons linked by interpersonal bonds, biological and non-biological, who consider themselves primarily members of a union or fellowship and who have common interest, goals and values. In brief, it is the notion of common interest, goals and values which differentiates a family and community from a mere association of individual persons.

Members of families and communities share goals and values, and have intellectual, ideological, as well as emotional attachment to these goals and values. Their intellectual understanding is embodied in the African maxim: “I am because we are and because we are, therefore, I am.” This shared understanding allows them to see their daily lives and fate as well as their life-chances intertwined in a web of mutuality.

And, this shared understanding is grounded in the affective bonds which tie family and community members together, aiding the harmonization of interest and goals. Working toward common interest and ends are the underpinning of Unity/Umoja. The story of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott is the narrative of African Americans working across class, gender, and religious difference to achieve the goal of a people united against the evils of racial segregation.

And still further, the principle of Unity/Umoja stresses the importance of affective bonds in developing and sustaining harmony and togetherness in the family. It is the emotional ties of the family which will keep it together and allow it to withstand the financial and social storms and unanticipated crisis that inevitably will occur. Therefore, it is the duty and responsibility of all family and community members to “do all they can in the way they can” to promote harmonious relations and actively work to diminish dissension and discord.

During Kwanzaa, families and others take inventory and discuss: what they have done to promote harmonious relations in the family and neighborhood (includes school and peers), how they have actively work to diminish dissension and discord, and what they will do (recommitment) in the coming year to employ the principle of Unity/Umoja in their daily lives in the context of the family and neighborhood.

One of the primary reasons for the creation of Kwanzaa was to introduce and reinforce the 7 Principles. The Seven Principles were viewed and still remain the “moral minimum” set of values which African Americans need to strengthen and make more effective families and family systems.

This year, we want to examine the 7 Principles in the context of Age of Barack Obama, the first African American to be elected and reelected president of the United States. Obama’s election and then reelection reaffirmed the possibilities, through struggle, of reimagining a more just society and “perfect Union.” That is to say, the energized progressive movement along with President Obama’s more forward-looking policy agenda gives promise that polices will be formulated that align with the developmental needs of families and children.

Yet, for African Americans to take advantage of openings and opportunities which may come about during the next four years, they will have to turn inward and overcome the crippling deficits of school failure and drop out, youth and young adult crime, drug use and trafficking, prostitution, and violence, all brought about by weak families structures  and neighborhoods disorganization. At this moment in history, blacks are too consumed with internal chaos. The interplay of the value structure and social conditions of African Americans are at variance with their developmental. The starting point for alleviating the social ills and condition of blacks is practice of the 7 Principles.

While African Americans have embraced the American value systems which worships and promotes self-reliance and independence, there developmental and social needs calls for a value system which promotes the common good and collective welfare of all, extending beyond the immediate family. The 7 Principle, with its underlying socio-ethical philosophy, places a premium and priority on collective values, common goods, and common ends. Moreover, the philosophy of the 7 Principles see individuals never as isolated persons, but rather as persons embedded in a thick web of social relationships and dependent on each other, which is more conducive to their developmental needs.

Further, the 7 Principles give priority to duties which are concern with the common good and collective well-being of each member of family and community, and consider duty as the moral tone, as the supreme principle of morality.

In reviewing and discussing the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, we will adopt an approach that sees these principles as interlocking values supportive of each other. So for example, the principles Unity/Umoja, Collective Work and Responsibility/Ujima, Cooperative Economic/Ujamaa, all align together and synergistically produce an outcome greater than each of the values isolated individually. This will help us to understand more fully the constructive potential and possibilities of the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa.

In Africa use of proverbs embodies the language of the people. They also serve as the guardian and carrier of a peoples’ philosophy and genius. Indeed, not only are African proverbs a reflection of a peoples’ philosophical thought, but also they regulate family life, the disposition of one member to another, they help in the socialization of children, and they serve as received authority, i.e., the distilled wisdom of the ancestors.

Through experience and rational reflection, African proverbs have come to represent the distill wisdom and philosophical treasury of African peoples. African proverbs, to be sure, give legitimacy and support to the values, symbols and concepts of Kwanzaa. Unity/Umoja, the first of the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, stresses harmony and solidarity among family members. Kwanzaa places emphasis on strengthening the family. The value of unity is affirmed by the following proverb: “unity is strength, division is weakness.” Further, Kwanzaa stresses building a home on a solid foundation Thus, the African proverb advises: “People do not build a house on top of water.”

Moreover, the family and the home setting is where the primary socialization of children takes place. Children are shaped by what they hear and see at home. Thus, the proverb says: What the child says, it has heard at home. Too, the home is the basic unit for nation building as declared by the proverb which states: The ruins of a nation begin in the homes of its people.”

Next, children are a prominent feature of Kwanzaa. The importance of children in the framework of Kwanzaa is underscored by one of its symbols- Corn/Muhindi. Every family, irrespective of whether they have children, place an ear of corn on the Kwanzaa set as a way of reinforcing the concept and practice that children belong to all adults. This concept and practice is supported by the most popular African Proverb which asserts: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

The Kwanzaa principle self-determination/kujichagulia demands that African Americans ground the view of themselves and the world in their own history and culture instead of imitating others. This demand is reinforced by the proverbs which instruct: “If you borrow a man’s legs, you will go where he directs you,” and “We do not work by another man’s clock.”

The principles collective work and responsibility/ujima, cooperative economic/ujamaa are central and essential to establishing a network of mutual caring and concern, love and nurturing, in the service of developing competent and caring children. The proverbs instruct: “Giving is to serve a portion for oneself,” and Hands wash each other.”

The Kwanzaa red candle is symbolic of struggle or continuous effort. In the color pattern of the Kwanzaa candles, red is symbolic of struggle, green symbolic of prosperous future, and black, symbolic of black people. The lesson drawn from this is straightforward: continual effort and work results in a prosperous outcome or future. Yet, continuous effort does not always yield the intended result. Therefore, the proverb directs: “To stumble is not to fall, but to go forward faster.” And, even when children or adults fail or are confronted by adverse circumstances, the proverb offers that they are resilient and like rubber will bounce back: “People are like plants in the wind; they bow down and rise up again.”

African proverbs can be used in an instructive manner during Kwanzaa. Use of proverbs adhere to the Kwanzaa principle self-Determination/Kujichagulia and adds richness to family or classroom discussions. The insight which emerges out the wisdom these proverbs offer can serve as a guidepost for children and appeal and excite their moral imagination.

Over the years, and quite candidly, since its beginning, myths have circulated around the Kwanzaa holiday. We will address and knock down the popular myths which continue despite evidence to the contrary.

Myth One: Kwanzaa is an African holiday, not an African American one.

Answer: There is no holiday on the continent of Africa called Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, professor of Black Studies at Cal State Long Beach. Admittedly, Kwanzaa borrows concepts and practices from Africa which are adapted to the needs and aspirations of black people in America.

Myth Two: Kwanzaa is a religious holiday.

Answer: Kwanzaa is a cultural, not religious holiday. Blacks of all faiths as well as secular or non believers celebrate Kwanzaa. While various faiths may introduce prayer or other religious rituals or practices, which are permissible as long as the cultural integrity of the holiday is not violated, these practices are specific to those who choose to celebrate Kwanzaa in that manner. Prayer is often invoked during the 4^th of July and Black History celebrations; yet nevertheless, these are not religious, and people of all faiths and non believers celebrate these holidays fully aware that these are not religious holidays.

Myth Three: Kwanzaa is a Black Christmas.

Answer: Kwanzaa is not a Black Christmas nor is it a substitute for Christmas. As a holiday, Kwanzaa stands on its own merits. It is a 7 day holiday celebration, starting December 26^th and ending January 1^st.  The focus, practices, and activities of the Kwanzaa holiday are unique and specific to Kwanzaa.

Myth Four: Kwanzaa is much like the Jewish holiday Hanukah.

Answer: As mentioned above, Kwanzaa is an African American holiday grounded in concepts and practices in traditional African societies. While both Kwanzaa and Hanukah have candle lighting activities, they are nevertheless separate and distinct holidays. The fact that candles and candle lighting is a central feature of both holidays is merely coincidental. Candles and candle lighting are used universally. It is the meaning which is attached to the candles and attendant activities which defines the holidays and determines their cultural significance.

Myth Five: Only black people celebrate Kwanzaa.

Answer: While Kwanzaa is Africa American specific holiday, people of all races and cultures may and do celebrate Kwanzaa. With mixed couples or in a school or work place setting, it is important not to change the meaning of the holiday celebration. The focus should still be on the 7 Principles and the celebration of African Americans in the same way that Cinco de Mayo and Saint Patrick Day is a celebration of Mexicans and the Irish respectively.

Myth Six: You have to celebrate all seven days of Kwanzaa.

Answer: While it is desirable and preferable to celebrate all seven days of Kwanzaa, it is not required. You should attempt to celebrate as many days as you can, keeping in mind that it is a seven day holiday. Some days you may have a longer celebration.

Myth Seven: Only African foods can be served for Kwanzaa.

Answer: There are no mandatory foods served during the Kwanzaa celebration. You may serve whatever foods you desire.

As has been said elsewhere, Kwanzaa as a holiday is anchored in the ‘First Fruits” celebrations in traditional African societies. At the close of the year, communities would come together to celebrate the harvest and to give thanks for life and the protection and preservation of the community. Thus, the roots of Kwanzaa is complementary to the Thanksgiving holiday in that they both focus attention on giving thanks to the common good however that may define by various families and communities.

In the spirit of Kwanzaa (which should inform our thought and practice throughout the year) we should take time ahead of, yet in preparation for the Kwanzaa celebration and join our families in giving thanks. In this spirit, we call forth the Thanksgiving Appeal by Howard Thurman.

Today, I make my Sacrament of Thanksgiving.
I begin with the simple things of my days:
Fresh air to breathe,
Cool water to drink,
The taste of food,
The protection of houses and clothes,
The comforts of home.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day!

I bring to mind all the warmth of humankind that I have known:
My mother’s arms,
The strength of my father
The playmates of my childhood,
The wonderful stories brought to me from the lives
Of many who talked of days gone by when fairies
And giants and all kinds of magic held sway;
The tears I have shed, the tears I have seen;
The excitement of laughter and the twinkle in the
Eye with its reminder that life is good.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day

I finger one by one the messages of hope that awaited me at the crossroads:
The smile of approval from those who held in their hands the reins of my security;
The tightening of the grip in a simple handshake when I
Feared the step before me in darkness;
The whisper in my heart when the temptation was fiercest
And the claims of appetite were not to be denied;
The crucial word said, the simple sentence from an open
Page when my decision hung in the balance.
For all these I make an act of Thanksgiving this day.

I pass before me the main springs of my heritage:
The fruits of labors of countless generations who lived before me,
Without whom my own life would have no meaning;
The seers who saw visions and dreamed dreams;
The prophets who sensed a truth greater than the mind could grasp
And whose words would only find fulfillment
In the years which they would never see;
The workers whose sweat has watered the trees,
The leaves of which are for the healing of the nations

Call it the 47% or the “makers and takers,” what is clear is that ideological argument has emerged without being cloaked in a language which is more palatable to the American citizenry. Make no mistake about it; this assertion plays to the notion that a large percentage of Americans are a drag on society and the progress of the nation. The argument suggests that any person or group of citizens who are not “self-sufficient” are irresponsible and are moochers.

The Kwanzaa principles Collective Work and Responsibility/Ujima and Cooperative Economic/Ujamaa suggest that the idea and language of ‘makers and takers” is at odds with the definition of morality and personhood. Both of these principles assert that we all, government included, have an inviolate responsibility to help each other, at anytime and in every sphere of life. This sense of morality “involves not just the de facto conformity to the requirements of the harmony of interest, but also that conformity to those requirements which is inspired by an imaginative and sympathetic identification wit the inters of others even at the cost of a possible abridgement of one’s own interest.”

Hence, morality is both personal, suggestive of individuals taking responsibility for his/her actions and behavior, and social, implicative of reciprocal and larger responsibility of society to care for and shelter those in need, who are in fact both makers and contributors. African proverbs are not silent at this level of morality and abound in prudential injunctions:

• If you do not allow your neighbor to reach nine, you will never reach ten.
• Somebody’s trouble has arrived; those of another are on the way.
• One person’s path will intersect with another’s before too long.
• A human being is not a palm tree so as to be self-sufficient.
• Life is mutual aid.

What’s more, these proverbs, which make up a rich body of African ethical, thought, bear the seeds of the fundamental thought in the philosophy of the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa more broadly and the values of the principles Ujima and Ujamaa more specifically. Put straightforward, these two principles, grounded in the wisdom of experience, maintain that we are all makers and takers, receivers and givers; and therefore, as humans, at all times, in one way or another, directly or indirectly, we need help.

Further, the morality of the principles Ujima and Ujamaa disallows the language and notion of defining people in a one dimensional term such as “taker.” People who receive, the principles proclaim, have responsibility to also give. This type of reciprocal ethos cultivates a much greater sense of personal and social security, thereby tamping down on anxieties which weaken the bonds of citizenry and human fellowship and solidarity.

Moreover, the bonds which unite Americans across racial and class lines are strengthen and reinforced by values which see humans as mutually dependent on each other as a way of life, and not as a deficiency or failure. And, further, seeing and accepting that humans are mutually dependent is contributive to the common good.

Thus, Kwanzaa gives us a chance to define and redefine the meaning of citizenship and what we owe to each other as citizens, and more importantly as