Kwanzaa on the Net - Lighting The Kwanzaa Kinara

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

The foundation of Kwanzaa are the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. When Dr. Karenga created the celebration of Kwanzaa he wanted to reflect the best qualities and characteristics of the "first fruit" or harvest festivals that were celebrated throughout Africa. It was these qualities that established the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. (Nguzo Saba is Kiswahili for Seven Principles).

The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa are:

Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity

Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination

To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.
Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility

To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.
Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics

To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.
Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose

To restore African American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity

Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.
Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith

Believing in our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness of the African American struggle.

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Comments

weezy f baby

10:46 11/14/2009

these are the seven principles of kwanzaa......kwanzaa is great!!!

teneka

09:26 11/12/2009

thiz was very useful

Not Important from Canada

19:36 11/02/2009

Thanks! This site was very helpful for my art project (Kwanzaa-themed greeting cards.)

Matthew Progress

03:00 09/18/2009

Wow, the Obama comments are offensive. Just because a black man was voted into office doesnt mean you fill up a Kwanzaa message board with dumb comments. This tradition means more than you will ever know or understand so stop defacing this site with nonsense about politics

Briana cook from Wisconsin, US

10:51 04/22/2009

i love obama

orelia from Oklahoma, US

17:04 03/28/2009

I would like the pictures of the symbols of kwanzaa

PANDA from California, US

16:48 02/23/2009

GOOD INFO

Barack Obama fan101 from Illinois, US

21:02 02/03/2009

Obama rocks the white housssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

daddy from Nebraska, US

19:41 01/13/2009

GGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOO BBBBAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

real O.G from New York, US

20:45 01/07/2009

yeah this really helped me in socail studies

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