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December 26, 2005
Kwanzaa – Why I Like It And Why I Don’t
Posted at December 26, 2005 12:02 PM in Race Relations .
Today is the first day of Kwanzaa and for many African Americans this tradition, started in 1966, has become a popular event in the community. The principals of Kwanzaa are meant to focus on traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. It is a reaffirming of African-American people, our ancestors and culture.
This is all good and the seven principles of Kwanzaa is equally worthy of celebration:
- Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, "I am We," or "I am because We are."
- Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.
- Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.
- Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
- Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.
- Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.
- Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.
The above is why I like Kwanzaa. However, I have a beef with its
creator, Dr. Maulana Karenga. Dr. Karenga is professor and chair of the
Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.
He is (or was) chair of the President's Task Force on Multicultural
Education and Campus Diversity at California State University, Long
Beach. Dr. Karenga holds two Ph.D.'s: his first in political science
with focus on the theory and practice of nationalism (United States
International University) and his second in ethics with a focus on the
classical African ethics and ancient Egypt (University of Southern
California).
Very impressive indeed. However, Dr. Karenga, before the name change, was known as Ron N. Everett. In the '60s, he awarded himself the title “maulana,” which is Swahili for “master teacher.” Born on a poultry farm in Maryland, the fourteenth child of a Baptist minister, he came to California in the late 1950s to attend Los Angeles Community College. He then moved on to UCLA, where he got a Master's degree in political science and African Studies. By the mid-60s he had established himself as a leading “cultural nationalist,” a term that had some meaning in the '60s, mainly as a way of distinguishing Karenga's followers (US, United Slaves) from the Black Panthers.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, Karenga and his group backed one candidate, the Panthers another. Both groups took to carrying guns on campus. Very interesting, but then again, it was the 60s. The Black Student Union, however, set up a coalition to try and bring peace between the Panthers and the group headed by the man whom the Times labeled “Ron Ndabezitha Everett-Karenga.”
In a December 2002 article on FrontPageMag.com, on Jan. 17, 1969, about 150 students gathered in a lunchroom to discuss the situation. Two Panthers apparently spent a good part of the meeting in verbal attacks against Karenga. This did not sit well with Karenga's followers, many of whom had adopted the look of their leader, African clothing and a shaved head.
The two brothers who apparently were the most vocal against Karenga were John Jerome Huggins, 23, and Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter, 26. After the meeting, these two Panthers were met in the hallway by two brothers who were members of US, George P. and Larry Joseph Stiner. The Stiners pulled pistols and shot the two Panthers dead. One of the Stiners took a bullet in the shoulder, apparently from a Panther's gun.
In the 60’s, this was pretty much the shape of things between Black organizations. Jealousy, envy, everyone battling for their high place on the Black throne would sometimes lead to violence between Black people—Black-on-Black crime if you will. In essence, US, Karenga’s group and the Black Panthers did not see eye to eye. Unfortunately, it was the US members who had a problem with the disagreement, could not handle the disagreement in a mature way and thus, sought violence as their way of handling the disagreement causing the deaths of two African American young men in what they saw as their opposing court—enemies. Karenga’s US almost sounds like a modern day gang.
But there’s more. On May 9, 1970, Karenga initiated a torture session that led to his imprisonment. Karenga himself will not comment on that incident and the victims cannot be located, so the sole remaining account is in the brief passage from the L.A. Times describing tortures inflicted by Karenga and his fellow defendants, Louis Smith and Luz Maria Tamayo:
"The victims said they were living at Karenga's home when Karenga accused them of trying to kill him by placing 'crystals' in his food and water and in various areas of his house. When they denied it, allegedly they were beaten with an electrical cord and a hot soldering iron was put in Miss Davis' mouth and against her face. Police were told that one of Miss Jones' toes was placed in a small vise which then allegedly was tightened by one of the defendants. The following day Karenga allegedly told the women that 'Vietnamese torture is nothing compared to what I know.' Miss Tamayo reportedly put detergent in their mouths, Smith turned a water hose full force on their faces, and Karenga, holding a gun, threatened to shoot both of them."
Los Angeles Times Article.
As a result, Karenga was sentenced to serve one to ten years in prison. A brief account of the sentencing ran in several newspapers the following day. Now, it is almost impossible to find information on the trial and the young women have disappeared. Apparently, the only document available through the courts is the transcript of Karenga's sentencing hearing on Sept. 17, 1971, which, in a sense, labels him as paranoid and schizophrenic.
Why I do not like Kwanzaa has a lot to do with the man credited for its creation. I personally have a problem with any Black man or woman who finds it necessary, or even condones, violent disagreements with another brother or sister within the community. You may disagree, but to take a gun, knife, or even use your tongue to speak character assignations against someone you disagree with is not only immature, but criminal. It makes you a willing participant in the program of divide and conquer. Agree to disagree, but do not willingly act out – because of your ego – to destroy another brotha or sistah. Because of the incident at UCLA where two young brothas lost their lives because they “dissed” another brotha is in total disregard for human life, particularly Black life.
Then there were the sistahs whose humanity was equally disregarded as a result of one man’s paranoia in thinking these ladies were using poison crystals to kill him. This caused him to order a torture of the two young women using hot soldering irons for placement in the mouth of Miss Davis and against her face. One of her toes was tightened in a vise. Karenga, himself, put detergent and running hoses in both women’s mouths.
Sure, Kwanzaa is a beautiful holiday and worthy of celebration by those who value Blackness, our humanity and history. However, its creator did not value the lives of Black people, honor Black women, and in some respects, himself. That is the travesty. That is where my disappointment lies. I am a true believer in people changing and redemption. People can change and do great things. However, the fruit from this tree is tainted and has served more to destroy Black people than build up Black people and that is why my problem is with the creator of Kwanzaa, not Kwanzaa itself. It is unfortunate that when one looks behind the beautiful idea of Kwanzaa, one finds the destruction of Black lives.
Links:
A Less Than Complimentary View of Dr. Maulana Karenga at Chicken Bones
Happy Kwanzaa by Paul Mulshine
The Official Kwanzaa Website
Exposing Kwanzaa -- the Hip Hop Replublican
Comments
This is a great entry. I've been doing a lot of kwanzaa blogging on my blog, Planet Grenada, and I would like to send people here if you don't mind.
Posted by abdul-halim at December 29, 2005 06:00 PMI am really saddened to read your posts on the Kwanzaa holiday. The sources you cite are inadequate for measuring the value of such a culturally significant undertaking as Kwanzaa. Please read the Senate Intelligence Committee report on how far the government went to bring about the bloodshed that you feel discredits the holiday. Please also read the book Cointelpro Papers by South End Press.
We don't disagree that what happened was the worse thing that could have happened. But our failures should be where our questions start, not where the conversation ends. In peace.
http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/churchfinalreportIIIc.htm
http://www.southendpress.org/2004/items/COINTELPRO
Posted by at December 29, 2005 09:52 PM