Customer Reviews

Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture (Commemorative)

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Karenga is at his best in distilling his rationale for establishing the holiday and in laying out the genesis of the logic for Kwanzaa's symbols and rituals. This is truly both a spiritually moving and intellectually stimulating book. My family and I have practiced the holiday in our home and with friends for 22 years, and we re-read Karenga's book every year and take something new into our annual celebrations. For the novice, the book does not offer much to teach you how to be more creative with your celebration of the holiday, but I would start with Karenga to understand the soul of Kwanzaa, and then try one of the other Kwanzaa titles to further explore how best to evolve and enhance your own celebration. Another Karenga title I would recommend is, "Selections from the Husia".

If you're searching for the most definitive text on the African American holiday of Kwanzaa, look no further! Dr. Maulana Karenga, the creator of this beautiful holiday, has written a very readable text for children and wonderful resource for parents, educators and all of us that want to celebrate the holiday correctly.

Dr. Karenga covers the essentials of Kwanzaa which includes the holiday's origins, the fundamental activities, its symbols, the essential values, greetings, Swahili pronounciations, decorating tips and much, much more.

What I personally appreciate about Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture is its stress on values and the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles. These are the essential pillars of the holiday. Those principles are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). We're taught to celebrate a different principle every day from December 26 to January 1.

I suggest a copy of the book for your library and one for a very special friend. Be a part of the world African community that celebrates this beautiful, cultural holiday! Thirty million Africans worldwide can't be wrong!

Malaika Tawasufi

Maulana Karenga's most recent work on the celebration of Kwanzaa he created in 1966, is simply the best work on the holiday. In fact, of the three books that Dr. Karenga has written, this text is the authoritative work on the history, origins and practices of Kwanzaa. Dr. Karenga created his cultural nationalist philosophy, Kawaida (tradition in Kiswhalli), in 1965, along with his organization US and is one of the leading Afrocentric writers today. He has 2 Ph.D.'s and is arguably the most important African-American intellectual of our era. Dr. Karenga's Kawaida philosophy and Nguzo Saba (7 principles) have influenced the development of independent Black schools, rites of passage programs, social service programs using the 7 principles, Afrocentric thought and practice, development of African wedding ceremonies--Akika, naming ceremonies--Akika and funerals--Maziko,the creation of independent Black organizations utilizing aspects of his philosophy and Black Studies programs on college campuses all use his other definitive text, Black Studies. In a word, Maulana Karenga is the most important "independent" thinker in modern African American intellecual history.

Keep Pushing and Kwanzaa Yenu Iwe Na Heri!

This book was excellent at describing the origin of Kwanzaa and how it should be celebrated. My family and I have celebrated Kwanzaa for 10 years and found this to be the best book I have read on the subject. The seven principles of Kwanzaa is great to teach chidren of any age. These principles inspired me and my husband to start our own business (...)
Enjoy the book and enjoy celebrating the Kwanzaa celebration.

In 1966, Dr. Karenga founded Kwanza,the seven day festival celebrated by African-Americans. This book is the author's explanation of the terminology behind the holiday, the seven principles, and their signifigance. This is a book that is very informative and educational

This is THE Kwanzaa Book. Every Black family should have a copy of this book in thier library.