Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday that celebrates African heritage and culture. The holiday was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an African-American professor of Africana Studies at California State University in Long Beach. The holiday was designed to be a non-religious, non-political celebration that would bring together African-Americans to honor their heritage and traditions. The holiday is celebrated annually from December 26th to January 1st.
It is based on ancient African harvest festivals, which were celebrated in many African cultures. “These festivals were times of thanksgiving for the harvest and for the blessings of the previous year. They were also times to remember and honor ancestors.” Karenga wanted to create a holiday that would bring African-Americans together and give them a sense of pride and unity.
The seven principles of Kwanzaa, also known as the Nguzo Saba, are a central part of the holiday and are
…show more content…
Kwanzaa encourages entrepreneurship among African-Americans and promotes the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses. This has helped to empower African-Americans economically and increase their representation in the business world.
Kwanzaa also shows the importance of honoring ancestors and building a legacy for future generations. The holiday encourages families to reflect on their family history and traditions and to pass them down to the next generation. This helps to preserve African-American culture and history and ensures that it is not lost over time.
The holiday has helped to increase cultural awareness and understanding among African-Americans and non-African-Americans alike. The holiday provides an opportunity for people to learn about African culture, traditions, and practices. This has helped to break down stereotypes and promote greater understanding and respect for different
How did many in the Black community celebrate Easter? Black communities celebrated Easter by wearing brand new outfit regardless of their financial status. In addition, some people started shopping three months before the holiday. 5.
African Americans received the final basic rights of life, freedom and peace it was everything and more to
One of these holidays is the New Year, called Oshogatsu the most important holiday in Japan. As stated in the book, “ ...the most important holiday in Japan and one that brings the whole culture to a three-day halt” (Pg 130). Cathy also states ,” … for three days virtually all shops and buildings are closed” (Pg 130). This statement shows the holiday and the traditional ways that go into the holiday. It also shows how this holiday brings everyone together to celebrate together.
This gave the African Americans more of a voice in what happened in society, proving to the public what kind of potential influences they had.
African American history is a corrective balance to the single story of American History because it exposes one to another side of history. It erases the concept that whites built America. African American history allows you to know that there is more to America than just what you learn in American History. It is not just white america because African Americans contributed a great deal to the development of america. A student who takes american history will began to believe that whites are the only people who contributed to the development of America.
Celebrating Black history month is beneficial to all American citizens. African descendants played a major element of American history, they helped build America, and schools now are not fully explaining black history. This is something we have to change. Black history month explains what Africans American went through for centuries and their achievements.
Many young people that don't know much about their black history get a chance to either connect with those who helped the world be free or get to understand what it was like during the times when colored people weren't free. It also helps create more equitable classrooms and provide children with the space to explore history from varying perspectives. While at times people only chose to focus on slavery and segregation there are many other things that have gone on during this time. Another positive thing about black history month is that it has a full month to be celebrated.
With these skills they could open their own schools, churches, hospitals, and other recreational places that was banned to them by racial injustice. These skills and institutions that the African Americans created portrayed to the whites that “yes”, African Americans can become sufficient and become
This year’s observance of Black History Month has caused controversy for excluding non African-American blacks. With this year’s increased racial progress, it is time for all blacks to be included in this celebration. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's most recent statistics, there are around 4 million Caribbean-Americans and an estimated 1.9 million African immigrants in the US. Very little of their history is mentioned and president Obama even deemed the celebration “African-American Month.”
With those new opportunities they took to art, literature, and music, and gave themselves a voice to express life beyond the slave oppression. The Harlem Renaissance started a change for African Americans that motivated them to express themselves through their own culture and history. The legacy of the writers/poets, artists, and musicians had a great effect on the African American community by giving hope for better days.
At night telling folk tales, doing dances and praying were the main reason why slaves did not commit suicide or harm themselves. They used these cultural remedies to assist them through their hardships. African Americans contributed to the economic and social development of America by becoming the engine for white men’s plantations. Without the work of slavery whites would have to work in their own fields instead they decided to get slaves and have the slaves do their work for them with no payment just cruelty. “African Americans…influenced the development of white culture.
The African American culture takes pride in cooking and food in general. Food is mostly provided or prepared for any occasion like family reunions, cook outs, holidays, and funerals. My mother and her cousin, Sherrie would decide who house to celebrate holidays or cook outs and each person would cook and prepare the food for any of our family gathers. My mother also prepared traditional southern meals in our home. Home cooked meals are a value in the family as well as the African American culture.
It is also celebrated for religious and social event. They emphasize the importance of family and society in the life of young
This then begins the cycle of ceremonies. Their festivals include clan and bundle rituals, ceremonies and dances that encompass all the tribal members (Religion and Expressive Culture - Kickapoo). Of course, with that comes ceremonial foods that are served in feast style.
Ancestors before us were not given recognition for the success they attained, and many ideas and inventions were stolen from African Americans by Caucasians, so there is still a great quantity of unknown achievements of African Americans. Frankly, without Black History Month, many would not know the