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The Seven Principles are
the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is a unique African
American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of
family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement.
Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some
misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a
time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and
culture. Since
its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa has come to be
observed by more than18 million people worldwide, as reported by the
New York Times. The Seven Principles
are:
- Umoja [OO-MO-JAH] (Unity)
- Kujichagulia
[KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-YAH] (Self-Determination)
- Ujima [OO-GEE-MAH] (Creative
Work & Responsibility)
- Ujamaa [OO-JAH-MAH]
(Cooperative Economics)
- Nia [NEE-YAH] (Purpose)
- Kuumba [KOO-OOM-BAH]
(Creativity)
- Imani [EE-MAH-NEE] (Faith)
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Umoja
[OO-MO-JAH]
("U-N-I-T-Y") |
To strive for and maintain unity in the
family, community, nation, race. |
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"There is a battle to be fought, there are obstacles to be overcome.
There is a world struggle for human dignity to be won. Let us address ourselves
seriously to the supreme tasks that lie ahead." Kwame Nkrumah
[Top] |
Kujichagulia
[KOO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-YAH]
(Self-Determination) |
To define ourselves, name ourselves,
create for ourselves and speak for ourselves instead of being
defined, named, created for and spoken for by others. |
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"Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will."
Marcus Mosiah Garvey
[Top] |
Ujima
[OO-GEE-MAH] (Creative Work & Responsibility) |
To build and maintain our community
together and make our sisters' and brothers' problems our problems
and solve them together. |
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"I freed thousands of slaves, I could have freed thousands more, if
they had known they were slaves."
Harriet Ross Tubman
[Top] |
Ujamaa
[OO-JAH-MAH]
(Cooperative Economics) |
To build and maintain our own
stores and other businesses and to profit from them
together. |
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"I am not a millionaire, but I hope to be some day, not for the money,
but because I could do so much to help my race." Madame C.J.
Walker
[Top] |
Nia
[NEE-YAH] (Purpose) |
To make our collective vocation
the building and developing of our community in order to
restore our people to their traditional greatness.
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"Policies change, programs change, according to time. But objectives
never changes. You might change your method of achieving the objective,
but the objective never changes. Our objective is complete freedom, complete
justice, complete equality, by any means necessary." Malcolm
X [Top] |
Kuumba
[KOO-OOM-BAH] (Creativity) |
To do always as much as we can,
in the way we can, in order to leave our community more
beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. |
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"Potential powers of creativity are within us and we have the duty to
work asssduously to discover these powers." Martin Luther
King, Jr.
[Top] |
Imani
[EE-MAH-NEE]
(Faith) |
To believe with all our
people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the
righteousness and victory of our struggle. |
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"Keep the faith, baby." Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
[Top] |
Seven Principles
