Begun in 1966, Kwanzaa is celebrated almost exclusively by African-Americans in the United States. It is a polarizing celebration and has been the recipient of criticism from its inception on to today. Is it warranted? As someone who could claim a reason to celebrate Kwanzaa, I wanted to look into it and see what it was all about. I mean, if there’s a chance to get more presents, why would I pass that up? On a less selfish note, if it represented something culturally important, shouldn’t I pass that on? I also knew people who celebrated Kwanzaa and was curious as to what they were celebrating. So I looked into it. In my opinion, the criticism is warranted and this created celebration does not need to exist.

Timing

First and foremost, the timing of this event is suspect. When Ron Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett and also known as Maulana Karenga) first created this holiday, he claimed that it was for African-Americans to celebrate their historical roots and that it was not meant as a replacement for any other holiday. Phooey! If that was really the case, he would have put it in June or August. As it is, it was intentionally designed to challenge a traditional holiday season and claim “this one is for blacks.” Just like Christmas was moved to December to move people away from Samhain, Kwanzaa was placed in December to move African-Americans away from Christmas.

The other aspect of the timing is the name itself, “first fruits” (derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”). Note to Mr. Karenga and anybody else who is confused, there are no “first fruits” in the winter, unless you’re talking cranberries. First fruits are harvest time, which is late summer/early fall. August, anyone?

Kwanzaa’s Supposed Origins

For those who did not know, slaves were brought to the United States (and other places) from West Africa. That means that if you trace lineage back (way, way, way back), you get to West Africa. Funny then how Kwanzaa is derived from a Swahili word. Swahili is a language spoken in EAST Africa. While there are those that will claim that this is symbolic of the holiday’s “Pan-African” roots, the simple fact is this is not even celebrated in Africa. Can you say “bogus”?

Now, there are many who claim that despite all this, blacks in America needed a time to recognize and celebrate their origins. As if two holidays/remembrances weren’t already enough? I refer specifically to Black History Month (begun in 1926, 40 years BEFORE the creation of Kwanzaa) and Juneteenth, celebrated since 1867, which recognized President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Was there really a need for a third holiday? Well, maybe if you’re going to create merchandise and sell it, but not for any legitimate reason.

And I’m not even going to go into the candle lighting and what each day of Kwanzaa is supposed to represent. I’m sure there are plenty of Jewish people upset enough about the rip-off from their celebration as it is.

Ron Karenga Himself

His early life seems fairly normal, but in the 1960s he was involved with the Black Power movement and the “power” part evidently went to his head. He began calling himself “Maulana” at that time, an Arabic word meaning “our lord” or “our master.” Adopted into Swahili, the word can also mean “master teacher” and is a parallel to the English title of “Sir.” Prior to this he had given himself a name with the Zulu title, “Your Majesty.” These delusions of grandeur were not exactly uncommon for the time period, but Mr. Karenga took them to an extreme.

His greatest crimes came later though, when he founded the US Organization, a black nationalist group. There is anecdotal evidence that the US Organization (the US has been rumored to stand for “United Slaves” among other things) was actually funded and encouraged by the U.S. government to thwart the Black Panthers as these two groups often conflicted, particularly in recruiting. Where the Black Panthers were about black acceptance and integration, US was more separatist. In 1969, the two groups clashed at UCLA, resulting in the shooting deaths of two members of the Black Panthers. Two members of US were tried and convicted of murder and conspiracy. It’s the conspiracy charge that leads people to believe that this wasn’t random. Nor would the actions of the US Organization afterward indicate randomness. The group murdered two more Black Panthers later the same year and were tied to numerous robberies and assaults, almost all of which were against blacks. All of this while under the “leadership” of Mr. Karenga.

Mr. Karenga is also a convicted felon. At a trial in 1971, he was tried and convicted for torture and false imprisonment on two women from his own organization that he believed were plotting his death with poison crystals hidden somewhere on their persons. Questions about Karenga’s sanity were raised (he talked to his blanket and imaginary people during the trial), but in the end was sent to federal prison for 1 to 10 years, of which he served about 4. Following that, Karenga somehow managed to get hired as a professor at Cal State University Long Beach, where he has become hailed as a cultural hero. Go figure.

Is the criticism of Kwanzaa deserved? Undoubtedly. Is Kwanzaa even necessary? Hardly. Will I ever celebrate it? No. Should anyone else? Well, if you want to follow the mandates of a man who calls himself “master teacher,” was in charge of a group that shot fellow blacks, tortured members of his own group (one of which he had given the title of “Queen”), borrowed his new principles for blackness from the Symbionese Liberation Army, and created a celebration that steals from other traditions not in the name of unity but in separation, go right ahead.