#Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

[mrsm-h]

Happy Kwanzaa 🕯️

Kujichagulia - Self-Determination🕯️

[qcsupermom]

Friday Four: Embracing Kwanzaa: A Soulful Celebration of Unity, Purpose, and Heritage

[purefilly-connection]

Kujichagulia: Embracing Self-Determination

The second day of Kwanzaa celebrates Kujichagulia, which means Self-Determination in Swahili. This principle focuses on defining ourselves, creating our own paths, and speaking for ourselves rather than being defined or spoken for by others. As I reflect on Kujichagulia, the principle of self-determination, I realize how much of my journey over the past year has been about stepping into this…

[gombodude]

Dèsanm 27– Bon Fèt avèk Kwanzaa!! Habari gani!?!

Ojórdi é dèzyèm jour Kwanzaa pou Kujichagulia (self-determination)

(December 27th - Happy Kwanzaa!! What's the news!?!

Today is the second day of Kwanzaa. Kujichagulia for Self-determination.)

[viadescioism]

Kwanzaa:

Kwanzaa, an annual holiday celebrated primarily in the United States from December 26 to January 1, emphasizes the importance of pan-African family and social values. It was devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, Inspired by Africa’s harvest celebrations, he decided to develop a nonreligious holiday that would stress the importance of family and community while giving African Americans an opportunity to explore their African identities. Kwanzaa arose from the black nationalist movement of the 1960s and was created to help African Americans reconnect with their African cultural and historical heritage. The holiday honors African American people, their struggles in the United States, their heritage, and their culture. Kwanzaa's practices and symbolism are deeply rooted in African traditions and emphasize community, family, and cultural pride. It's a time for reflection, celebration, and the nurturing of cultural identity within the African American community.

Kwanzaa is a blend of various African cultures, reflecting the experience of many African Americans who cannot trace their exact origins; thus, it is not specific to any one African culture or region. The inclusiveness of Kwanzaa allows for a broader celebration of African heritage and identity.

Karenga created Kwanzaa during the aftermath of the Watts riots as a non-Christian, specifically African-American, holiday. His goal was to give black people an alternative to Christmas and an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than imitating the practices of the dominant society. The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits," and is based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa. The holiday was first celebrated in 1966.

Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven principles (Nguzo Saba), which are central values of African culture that contribute to building and reinforcing community among African Americans. These principles include Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but Celebrations often include songs, dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry readings, and a large traditional meal. The holiday concludes with a communal feast called Karamu, usually held on the sixth day​​​​.

Kwanzaa is more than just a celebration; it's a spiritual journey to heal, explore, and learn from African heritage. The holiday emphasizes the importance of community and the role of children, who are considered seed bearers of cultural values and practices for the next generation. Kwanzaa is not just a holiday; it's a period of introspection and celebration of African-American identity and culture, allowing for a deeper understanding and appreciation of ancestral roots. This celebration is a testament to the resilience and enduring spirit of the African-American community.

"Kwanzaa," Encyclopaedia Britannica, last modified December 23, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kwanzaa.

"Kwanzaa - Meaning, Candles & Principles," HISTORY, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history.

"Kwanzaa," Wikipedia, last modified December 25, 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa.

"Kwanzaa," National Museum of African American History and Culture, accessed December 25, 2023, https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/kwanzaa.

"The First Kwanzaa," HISTORY.com, accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-first-kwanzaa.

My Daily Kwanzaa, blog, accessed December 25, 2023, https://mydailykwanzaa.wordpress.com.

Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture (Los Angeles, CA: University of Sankore Press, 1998), ISBN 0-943412-21-8.

"Kente Cloth," African Journey, Project Exploration, accessed December 25, 2023, https://projectexploration.org.

Expert Village, "Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs: Kwanzaa Symbols," YouTube video, accessed December 25, 2023, [Link to the specific YouTube video]. (Note: The exact URL for the YouTube video is needed for a complete citation).

"Official Kwanzaa Website," accessed December 25, 2023, https://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.html.

Michelle, Lavanda. "Let's Talk Kwanzaa: Unwrapping the Good Vibes." Lavanda Michelle, December 13, 2023. https://lavandamichelle.com/2023/12/13/lets-talk-kwanzaa-unwrapping-the-good-vibes/.

[readyforevolution]

On this, the second day of Kwanzaa, we lift up the principle of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): It means to define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. This too expresses itself as both commitment and practice. It demands that we as an African people define, defend and develop ourselves instead of allowing or encouraging others to do this. It requires that we recover lost memory and once again shape our world in our own image and interest. And it is a call to recover and speak our own special truth to the world and raise images above the earth that reflect our capacity for human greatness and progress. The first act of a free people is to shape its world in its own image and interest. And it is a statement about their conception of self and their commitment to self-determination. [Frantz] Fanon has said each person must ask him or herself three basic questions:

1. Who am I?

2. Am I really who I say I am?

3. Am I all that I ought to be?

[spocks-husband]

Happy second day of Kwanzaa, y'all! Today we honor Kujichagulia, or Self Determination. As such, I thought Jason was perfect for today's drawing :) he screamsssss dreadhead to me it's so obvious

[jasposeyblog]

This year’s seasonal commission of mine is from @gregfoxstudio again. He and I wish everyone who celebrates it a very Happy Kwanzaa! To help with this, here is Tyroc holding a kinara to light the seven days, each candle represents one of the seven principles.

The seven principles of Kwanzaa are:

Umoja

Unity, or striving for unity in the family, community, nation, and race

Kujichagulia

Self-determination, or defining, naming, creating, and speaking for oneself

Ujima

Collective work and responsibility, or building and maintaining the community together and solving problems together

Ujamaa

Cooperative economics, or building and maintaining businesses together and profiting from them together

Nia

Purpose, or making the community the collective vocation and restoring the people to their traditional greatness

Kuumba

Creativity, or exploring and expressing unique talents and gifts to leave the community more beautiful and beneficial

Imani

Faith, or maintaining faith in shared values and the possibility of a brighter future

Kwanzaa begins on December 26th this year and goes for seven days to end on January 1st.

[lre333]

KUJICHAGULIA (Self-Determination)

To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

Ahenwa - The Akan throne, symbol of national identity, cultural groundedness and rightful governance

FEATURING gini (by @yngblkarawak)

first day of kwanzaa | third day of kwanzaa

[leomonwell]

🌟 Joyous Kwanzaa, my friends! Let’s reflect on our shared values of Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), and Nia (Purpose) as we celebrate this season of community and culture. 💫

- Leo

[aroaceaddywalker]

Happy Kwanzaa!!

The principle for the second day of Kwanzaa is kujichagulia, or self-determination. This Kwanzaa, I'm thinking about Congo, and Palestine, and Sudan, who have been denied the right to determine their own fate and actions due to centuries' of interference by colonial powers. Please take some time to write your representatives, donate to organizations providing aid on the ground, organize/attend protests, or find a way to get involved that is meaningful to you

[mrsm-h]

Happy Kwanzaa - Kujichagulia 🕯️

Self-Determination

[shakespearefreak]

❤️🖤💚 Joyous (late) Kwanzaa from Makena, Evette, and Addy! ❤️🖤💚

Since my dolls didn’t have “Christmas” until Kwanzaa was already over, Makena, Evette, and Addy didn’t get to celebrate the full seven nights this year, but I still wanted to do something, especially as this was Addy’s first time observing the holiday. We ended up watching The Black Candle, a 2009 documentary about the origins and practices of Kwanzaa (I highly recommend it; you can watch it for free on Tubi, or on Amazon Prime Video if you have that). Addy wore the new dress she received at Christmas and the cowrie shell from her great-grandmother and namesake, Aduke, the one piece of Africa that Aduke managed to bring with her when she was stolen from her homeland as a slave. Momma gave the shell to Addy as a reminder both of her roots and that she is “much loved,” which is the meaning of her full name in the Yoruba language. Addy, of course, didn’t know much about Kwanzaa at all before the start of the movie, so almost everything was a discovery to her, but all three girls learned new things from the documentary.

As for me, I found some parts of the movie easy to relate to as a member of a different oppressed community (being LGBTQ+), but there were also many times that I, as a White person, couldn’t relate at all. I had to remind myself that that’s okay: Kwanzaa isn’t a holiday intended for me, and I shouldn’t have to be able to relate to, or even fully understand, something to respect it. For me, as I suspect for many White Americans, that’s a difficult idea: we’re accustomed to other cultural practices merging with our own, and get used to the idea that culture is a thing to be shared. And I believe that is often true; however, it’s also important to note that when Black people are penalized by society for the same things that White people are praised for, things that the Black community introduced in the first place, it makes sense for Black people to want to keep some things for themselves. Also, communities are allowed to create their own spaces, and that includes making their own boundaries.

That’s why I decided to show the kinara with the candles lit for the second night, which is dedicated to the Principle Kujichagulia, or self-determination: the right of the Black community to define themselves as a culture and tell their own stories in their own way. I felt that watching that documentary not only helped me understand the principle logically (that was one of the Nguzo Saba I was never entirely clear on), but also taught me about it on an emotional level. The funny thing is, even though I didn’t understand what was meant by “self-determination” until the other night, I unwittingly made use of it in a conversation last November when talking with my mother about Jordan Peele’s films (specifically Get Out). She said that she thought Peele would do better to write it so White people who weren’t maliciously racist were able to see themselves in his movies; that making the “I’m not racist, but…” people so completely, irredeemably evil would alienate the White people who were both in need of lessons about racism and actually willing to learn those lessons. I said I thought she might have a point, but that neither she nor I get a say in how Black people talk about their own experiences, and that there are simply things that we will never comprehend, because we haven’t lived those experiences. But even though in November I understood it well enough to argue for it, a few nights ago watching the documentary, I felt like I had to learn it all over again… and again, in fact, while writing this. I think it’s something I’ll need to remind myself of many times throughout my life, and that’s just something I have to be okay with. Because yeah, the anxiety of worrying you’re being unintentionally racist kinda sucks, but not even a fraction as much as how our society treats Black people sucks. And one of the most important things I can do to improve that is to trust that people know their own problems, and how to solve them, better than anyone else ever could.

NOTES: Reminder that Evette is not White! She is biracial: her mother is Black, and her dad is White. Though the doll is mostly White-passing, the character herself is frequently asked if she’s Black or white, which frustrates her, as she doesn’t think she needs to be one or the other, but identifies with both sides of her family. I think that because so much of her book deals with her racial identity, it wouldn’t make sense to not have her celebrate Kwanzaa.

Also, I want to make it clear that I’m not laying any claim to Kwanzaa; as I said above, I recognize it isn’t a holiday for me. Every year I do more research so my girls can hopefully celebrate as accurately as possible. If you’re Black and you think I need to edit any part of this post, or take it down altogether, please let me know and I’ll do that! (I’m aware that a large part of this post is me, a White person, talking about how I relate and don’t relate to the holiday, which feels ironic given the Principle I chose to talk about. I thought that since I needed so much reminding, maybe reading this would be a helpful reminder to other White people as well; however, I’ll understand if I should delete that part.)

P.S. If anyone has any info about Black-owned small businesses that make miniature Kwanzaa decor for 18” dolls, please let me know! I asked this same question last year, and several times I’ve tried searching Etsy to no avail. I’d love to make my display more detailed/accurate next year while also funding the Black community directly.

[harimabiff1492]

The 2nd Dey Of Kwanzaa 12/27/24

The second day of Kwanzaa, December 27th, holds particular significance in the celebration of this Moorish American holiday. Kwanzaa, which spans from December 26th to January 1st, is a seven-day celebration that honors Moorish heritage and promotes principles of unity and community. The second day of Kwanzaa focuses on the principle of self-determination, or kujichagulia in Swahili. This…

[nando161mando]

'In this season of Kwanzaa, it is worth noting that Sullivan-Ongoza led the group of artists who created an 11-foot kinara that went on display at Philadelphia City Hall for the first time last December.

However, she said the work of the people in P.A.S.H.I. embodies the spirit and principles of Kwanzaa every week of the year. Those seven principles are: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics of Kwanzaa), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).

“Every principle of Kwanzaa operates here,” she said. “We are self-determined. We do this without a budget. We make it happen. We are using our creativity and working collectively. We believe in each other and have faith in ourselves, and we have faith others are going to support us.”

She said people can support P.A.S.H.I. through the Ujima Friends Peace Center’s donation page, but must specify the gift is for P.A.S.H.I.'

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/black-women-philly-sew-period-pads-girls-africa-20241228.html

[viadescioism]

The Nguzo Saba, The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa:

Umoja (Unity): Encourages togetherness in family and community, highlighting the shared struggles and accomplishments of Black Americans.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): Emphasizes defining, naming, and speaking for oneself.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): Focuses on building community and solving problems together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): Encourages supporting and growing Black-owned businesses.

Nia (Purpose): Urges contributing to community building and development.

Kuumba (Creativity): Inspires using creativity to enhance the community.

Imani (Faith): Highlights faith in the community, struggle, and victory.

Each principle plays a vital role in strengthening community ties and fostering a sense of cultural pride and unity.