Kwanzaa founder Karenga discusses festivalKwanzaa founder Maulana Karenga, guest speaker at the Kwanzaa Cultural Festival held Monday, Dec. 3, at Clayton Hall, takes part in the traditional lighting of the Kwanzaa candles. Throughout the festival, students enjoyed the foods, music, art and crafts representative of Africa.
The celebration, sponsored by the Center for Black Culture, Each One Reach One Mentoring Program, the Cultural Programming Advisory Board, the Black Student Union, Black American Studies and Multicultural Programs, was a prelude to the holiday that begins Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1. Kwanzaa is a non-religious holiday honoring the traditional African values of family, community, responsibility, commerce and self-improvement. The name Kwanzaa, which comes from the word kwanza in the East African language of Kiswahili, means "the first" or "the first fruits of the harvest." The celebration began 35 years ago, when Karenga, troubled by the riots in Los Angeles' Watts area, decided that African-Americans needed an annual event to celebrate their heritage.  |
