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  #1  
Old 12-04-2005, 10:44 AM
Bigdaddydvo Bigdaddydvo is offline
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Default Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

This is a description I found via Google:

[ QUOTE ]
Kwanzaa (Quansa) is a holiday celebrated by many African-Americans. It is held December 26th through January 1st. It was started in 1966 by Doctor Maulana Karenga, Professor at the California State University, Long Beach, California.

[/ QUOTE ]

My thoughts: Kwanzaa's underlying purpose is to provide a secular diversion to and subsequent downplay of the Christmas celebration, with the ultimate aim to weaken the strong Christian identity of the African American Community.

Discuss.
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  #2  
Old 12-05-2005, 01:27 AM
Talk2BigSteve Talk2BigSteve is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion



Big Steve [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
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  #3  
Old 12-05-2005, 03:02 AM
imported_luckyme imported_luckyme is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

I'm starting to think skansky has a point about adeptness in inductive reasoning in one area being constant across other areas.
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  #4  
Old 12-05-2005, 08:39 AM
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

Hiya Bigdaddydvo,

[ QUOTE ]
My thoughts: Kwanzaa's underlying purpose is to provide a secular diversion to and subsequent downplay of the Christmas celebration, with the ultimate aim to weaken the strong Christian identity of the African American Community.


[/ QUOTE ]

My thoughts: It's an opportunity for all men (people) of all persuasions, or lack of it, to celebrate together. I guess this may be too catholic, or universal, a thought for you? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

PS: I am sure it is not restricted/limited to African Americans.
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  #5  
Old 12-05-2005, 06:46 PM
Bigdaddydvo Bigdaddydvo is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

Here is some interesting but less than auspicious biographical information on Kwanzaa's founder. Assuming it's true, I think it makes a strong case that Kwanzaa's original intent is as a black alternative to Christmas:

After meeting Malcolm X as a college student in the 1960s, Karenga became politicized and helped found the US organization, which among other things promoted a cultural revolution for African Americans. In 1966, Karenga created Kwanzaa, a holiday designed to celebrate and honor the values of ancient African cultures and inspire African Americans to greater pride in their heritage. Kwanzaa is based on the year-end harvest festivals that have taken place throughout Africa for thousands of years. The name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits of the harvest.” Karenga chose a phrase from Swahili because the language is used by various peoples throughout Africa.

Karenga now chairs the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

See also Kwanzaa.



Information Please® Database, © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

10 March 1999

It seems the founder of Kwanzaa wasn’t any more ethical than those who sung its praises. In fact, at the same time Al Sharpton was glorifying the new holiday, its creator was sitting in a California prison for torturing two black women who were members of the United Slaves, a black nationalist cult he had founded.

The cult leader Ron N. Everett went by the name Karenga and in the 60’s took upon himself the title "maulana," which means "master teacher" in Swahili. He was born on a poultry farm in Maryland, the fourteenth child of a Baptist minister. He moved to California in the late 50’s to attend LA Community College. He later moved to UCLA, where he got a Master’s degree in political science and African Studies and by the mid 1960’s, he had established himself as a leader of the black movement- a self described "cultural nationalist". He had purposely used the term "nationalist" to distinguish his group from the Black Panthers who were Marxists. He wanted a separate black state while the Marxists worked for integration.

The friction between his group and the Panthers mirrored the centuries of tribal warring in Africa. Both groups were heavily recruiting at UCLA in the 60’s and vying for control of the newly developed African Studies Department. Karenga and his group backed one candidate for dept. head and the Panthers another. Both began carrying guns on campus and on Jan. 17. 1969, about 150 students gathered at the lunchroom to discuss the problem. Two Panther members had been admitted to the college as part of a federal program that helped black high-school dropouts enter the university. The meeting turned violent and ended with two of Karenga’s group, George P. Stiner and Larry Joseph Stiner killing two. The Stiner brothers shot two Panthers John Huggins, 23 and Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter, 26 – dead.

UCLA chancellor Charles E. Young, scared that the violence would hurt admissions said "The students here have handled themselves in an absolutely impeccable manner. They have been concerned. They haven’t argued who the director should be; they have been saying what kind of person he should be." The remarks were made after the shooting and the university went ahead with its Afro-American Studies Program. Meanwhile, Karenga’s group grew and performed assaults and robberies always following the law laid down in The Quotable Karenga, a book that laid out the "True Path of Blackness." "The sevenfold path of blackness is think black, talk black, act black, create black, buy black, vote black, and live black,"

On May 9, 1970 he initiated the torture session that led to his imprisonment. The torture session was described in the L.A. Times on May 14, 1971. "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 was tightened by the men and one woman. The following day Karenga told the women that ‘Vietnamese torture is nothing compared to what I know." Miss Tamao 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. The victims Deborah Jones and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothing."

Karenga was convicted of two counts of felonious assault and one count of false imprisonment. He was sentenced on Sept. 17, 1971 to serve one to ten years in prison. After being released from prison in 1975, he remade himself as Maulana Ron Karenga, went into academics, and by 1979 was running the Black Studies Department at California State University in Long Beach and converted to Marxism. Kwanzaa's seven principles include "collective work" and "cooperative economics." He is still there and everyone has almost forgotten the cruel and vicious attacks committed on his fellow blacks. Kwanzaa has been successfully marketed and is now heralded as a great African tradition.

The silver lining is that rather than "de-whitinizing" Christmas as Al Sharpton purported – it has polarized the holiday season -Hanukkah for Jews, Kwanzaa for Blacks, and Christmas for whites.



http://www.nathanielturner.com/karenga2.htm
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  #6  
Old 12-05-2005, 08:00 PM
imported_luckyme imported_luckyme is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

[ QUOTE ]
My thoughts: Kwanzaa's underlying purpose is to provide ....

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll assume you mean Karenga's purpose ( events can't have purposes) in starting it. However, once it is started, any original purpose the founder may have had may well dissolve into a range of purposes for those now involed. Currently, those promoting it will have some purpose ( and there could be multiple purposes arising in diffent factions or even the same faction) but it won't be aligned with every, or perhaps any, celebrants purpose in joining in.
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  #7  
Old 12-06-2005, 12:27 AM
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

Hiya Bigdaddydvo,

[ QUOTE ]
Kwanzaa is based on the year-end harvest festivals that have taken place throughout Africa for thousands of years. The name comes from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” which means “first fruits of the harvest.” Karenga chose a phrase from Swahili because the language is used by various peoples throughout Africa.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you mean to say that Christmas was an attempt at christianising other more ancient religious festivals with antecedents claims to the date?

But regarding my earlier post I was wrong, I jus assumed Kwanzaa was a secularisation of the end of years festivities which originall were based on pagan rites. So my remarks about universalism and catholicism don't make much sense in this context. Sorry about that. I say, lets just say the end of year rejoicing season.. seems more inclusive, no?

Compliments of the season to you [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
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  #8  
Old 12-06-2005, 03:53 AM
istewart istewart is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

I just assumed Kwanzaa was made up. I think this theory holds weight.
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  #9  
Old 12-06-2005, 04:10 AM
BluffTHIS! BluffTHIS! is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

[ QUOTE ]
I just assumed Kwanzaa was made up. I think this theory holds weight.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is nothing wrong with anyone of any ethnic or cultural background being proud of where their ancestors came from. But to try to adopt customs, even if they were authentic which this holiday isn't, after a 200+ year lapse when such customs were not passed down in your family, is somewhat pretentious.

Should I start immitating a brogue when I talk in honor of my Irish ancestors? Or take to wearing liederhosen in honor of my German ones? Or maybe take up the bagpipe to celebrate my Scottish heritage? These things were never passed down in my family and I would feel ridiculous trying to do any of that.
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  #10  
Old 12-06-2005, 12:21 PM
imported_luckyme imported_luckyme is offline
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Default Re: Kwanzaa Origin/Discussion

[ QUOTE ]
There is nothing wrong with anyone of any ethnic or cultural background being proud of where their ancestors came from. But to try to adopt customs, even if they were authentic which this holiday isn't, after a 200+ year lapse when such customs were not passed down in your family, is somewhat pretentious.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure the 200 year gap has any bearing on it. I don't celebrate birthdays, destest mothers/fathers day and about the only civic holiday I honor are those relating to veterans. That said, i don't see anything different with a group of 1 or more making up something to celebrate/acknowledge for real or imagined reasons. If it works for them, have at it. [ QUOTE ]
I would feel ridiculous trying to do any of that.

[/ QUOTE ] that is a bit related to why I don't partake. I don't have the need, I don't see the point, and I think it demeaning to try to make myself feel good because of some historical quirks in my family or cultural history - that I never had any input in or control over. I am who I am, the culture I move in is the culture I move in -- deal with it. Seems a bit weird to have 4 groups in a restaurant each celebrating a different heritage. So, I guess it ends up that I disagree with - [ QUOTE ]
There is nothing wrong with anyone of any ethnic or cultural background being proud of where their ancestors came from.

[/ QUOTE ] since it seems to me it's a false and unearned pride. "Look at me, I'm Irish".
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