Posted on 12/25/2006 12:18:10 PM PST by DogByte6RER
Learn about Kwanzaa, it's worth celebrating
By Akilah Monifa COMMENTARY
I CELEBRATE Kwanzaa, a holiday that honors family, community and culture. My family and I have done so for years. But five years after Sept. 11, in this climate of religious and cultural intolerance in America, I can sympathize with Muslims here who feel like outsiders.
Many white Americans are suspicious and fearful of Kwanzaa. Like other holidays that are celebrated predominantly by people of color -- such as Ramadan, Juneteenth, Holi, Hispanic Heritage Month -- Kwanzaa ought to be an opportunity for those who are unfamiliar with it to learn more.
It is a seven-day, Pan-African, secular holiday that has cultural roots. Because of its Swahili name and because it begins the day after Christmas, many folks think Kwanzaa is a religious holiday. Many refer to it as the "black Christmas."
Its origins are from the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But because of founder Ron Karenga's former ties to the United Slaves Organization, a black nationalist group, Kwanzaa is constantly attacked for being separatist and black nationalist.
It is neither.
Over the years, there have been quite a few non-blacks present at our gatherings, and the atmosphere has been celebratory. People who are not of African descent are happy to be included because they often have family members or friends who participate.
Kwanzaa's seven principles -- of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- are ones that many people, irrespective of background, can appreciate.
Millions of people, regardless of race or religion, now celebrate Kwanzaa worldwide. But even as our communities become increasingly multicultural and cross-cultural, acceptance has diminished for those who don't follow mainstream traditions around this time of year.
In the age of terror, we would all benefit to learn more about one another, and to embody Kwanzaa's ideals of happiness, unity and peace.
Monifa writes for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues, affiliated with The Progressive magazine. E-mail: pmproj@progressive.org.
Obviously, Akilah Monifa from the Progressive Media Project needs to learn some more about her "holiday" Kwanzaa.
Kwanzaa was invented in 1966 by convicted felon and radical Marxist activist/professor Dr. Ron "Maulana" Karenga.
In 1971 Ron (sic Maulana) Karenga, Louis Smith, and Luz Maria Tamayo were convicted of felony assault and false imprisonment for assaulting and torturing two women from the United Slaves, Deborah Jones & Gail Davis. A May 14, 1971 article in the Los Angeles Times described the testimony of one of the women: "Deborah Jones, who once was given the Swahili title of an African queen, said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Ms. Davis's mouth and placed against Ms. Davis's face and that one of her own big toes was tightened in a vise. Karenga, head of US, also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said." They also were hit on the heads with toasters.
At Karenga's trial, the question arose as to Karenga's sanity. It is theorized that Karenga may have had a mental breakdown due to the stress of dealing with the violence and murders surrounding his United Slaves (US) organization and the Black Panther Party (BPP). His behavior became bizarre. And, at his trial, a psychiatrist's report stated the following: "This man now represents a picture that can be considered both paranoid and schizophrenic with hallucinations and illusions, inappropriate affect, disorganization, and impaired contact with the environment.
So Akilah, how does being "whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes" and "a hot soldering iron was placed in (to) the mouth and placed against the face" and having one's "big toes was tightened in a vise" honor family, community and culture?!?!
*****Many white Americans are suspicious and fearful of Kwanzaa
"in this climate of religious and cultural intolerance"
There are many African-Americans who hate Jews, and venerate Muslims for no particular reason. They neglect the historical fact that Muslims have been no friends of black Africans.
The majority of black people will not see the light this century. The ones that do will dominate their race & will have no desire to enlighten them - instead the opposite as we see today.
That fact alone ought to tell the Kwanzaa pushers something. But then, to paraphrase our local talk show host, modern liberalism is standing on your head and telling the rest of the world that its upside down.
The United Methodist Church's General Board of Discipleship has been plugging Kwanzaa on its main website, and the UMC's Abingdon publishing house has placed plugs for Karenga's racist festival in Sunday School literature for children.
Even if one ignored the black separatist, Marxist, and politically radical origins of the celebration, Kwanzaa would still be noted for its explicit rejection of Christianity. For an ostensibly Christian organization like the United Methodist Church to promote Kwanzaa reveals just how far gone some traditionally conservative (and Christian) institutions have become.
MB
After we get them separate holidays, can we get them separate water fountains, as well?
</pretend racism>
Dog you can post all the b.s. you want on this celebration called kwanza. Still no one with half a brain who understands tradition will support this trash.
Kwanza is a made up celebration.
MOst Christian blacks will support their Christian teachings. Those with some ax to grind will support this crap.
I hope that most of the FReepers can see that the reason that I have posted these Kwanzaa threads is to scrutinize and expose this junk "holiday"
I have posted these threads so that we can be innoculated from all of the PC and multicult garbage that will begin playing tomorrow when the dinosaur MSM begins promoting this Marxist celebration.
I post these threads only to expose the fallacies and hypocrisies that are inherent within Kwanzaa.
I hope that you can see all of this in my threads...
If you ask a real African IN AFRICA about Kwanza they usually just laugh at you and say something like, "You crazy Americans."
+
If you want on (or off) this Catholic and Pro-Life ping list, let me know!
Wait till the African Americans find out who has been exterminating Black Africans in the Sudan for going on thirty years.
Bear in mind that this is not war, it's simple genocidal slaughter of innocent citizens including babies and the elderly.
Three guesses.
Look it up. Then ask your own leaders why they want you to believe this incredible hoax.
As opposed to the Middle East, of course.
Then you can inform them it's about
another made up holiday...just like the made up language of ebonics!!!!
try to find 10 people on the whole african continent that has ever heard fo this farce....
actually...in the US...more people have heard of festivus than kwaanza!!!!
wonder if MLK had kwaanza as part of his dream????
Yes, and I hope you know how foolish I think "kwanza is"?
I saw three posts in rapidity and thought wow is this guy just trying to push his agenda? No, he is trying to show how really inane this really is.
Sort of like posting a bunch of stories of the cow jumping ove the moon. With quotes and times and vivid reports.
I live in the south and nearly every Black I know is at home celebrating Christmas tonight. Children have opened their presents and families are together just happy to be with each other.
No different then nearly every other AMERICAN.
No, it's not.
"Wait till the African Americans find out who has been exterminating Black Africans in the Sudan for going on thirty years."
What-you mean the MSM hasn't given us their "real" identities yet?/s;)
With that kind of sick twisted bio making account of his evil deeds Karenga could be an Islamic prophet.
Now this guy is an expert in mental disorders of people of European descent too? Most whites I know are neither suspcious or fearful of "kwanzaa". They realize its a commie holiday made up by some mentally ill sexual deviant. What's to celebrate? Most whites, and 98% of the blacks think the whole thing is stupid. Only the media celebrates "kwanzaa", so it looks more important than it is. It would have died out in a prison toilet if some liberal journalist hadn't heard of it.
Wait till you get the facts on all this Frank.
It's all a matter of recorded fact. It's overwhelming in it's enormity.
All of the world's citizens have a role in this. Ignorance of it will serve as no excuse. The day for it is here and now.
Just a few murders and a few sexual assaults on 6yr old girls, and he's in the running!
The militant blacks of the last 30 years don't give one hoot about MLK's dream. They didn't want him preaching unity of the races. Just look at the militant black leaders that have risen to the forefront with their message of hate and racism, like Al Sharpton and Je$$e Jack$son. I have always thought it was the militant blacks that took out MLK to shut him up. Now they are all living large as race baiters.
The Truth About Kwanzaa
http://maroonedinmarin.blogspot.com/2006/12/truth-about-kwanzaa.html
Hopefully, the media will quit whipping this dead horse in coming years. I know and have spoken with a lot of African-Americans - NONE of them celebrate this phoney ****day!!
(I refuse to associate "holi" and "day" with this phoney ca-ca!)
I just love Akilah's writing. I look forward to everything he writes. Or is it she?
Start having lots of beer and food, like Oktoberfest, and I'll start to celebrate Kwanzaa.
Good grief, Charlie Brown, I was right either way.
http://aalbc.com/reviews/akilah.htm
I don't think you can compare Junteenth to Kwanzaa. Junteenth is a real celebration of something that happened.
I don't have a problem with Junteenth, but I do with a made up holiday.
"Kwanzaa's seven principles -- of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith -- are ones that many people, irrespective of background, can appreciate."
Hmmmn - where to start?
1. "Unity" scarcely sounds like the individualism upon
which America is based. This one smacks of socialism.
2. "Self-determination" seems to conflict with "unity".
3. "Collective work and responsibility" IS socialism.
4. "Co-operative economics" sounds like some hippie food
co-op from the 1960's. Still, this is classic
socialism.
5., 6., & 7. are not socialist by definition.
So, this black whacko's schemed-up "religious festival" is well over half socialism. Why am I not surprised?
Question: In which African nations is Kwanza celebrated as a national holiday?
Answer: 0.
Oh..those fruitcakes...now that is an endorsment if ever I heard one!</sarcasm>
I'd celebrate Festivus before I'd celebrate kwanza.
Appreciate the link to the Rotten Roots of Kwanza.
Kwanza is totally bogus as it was made up out of thin air by an activist academic. It has NO roots and takes away from the real meaning of Christmas. If this professor guy wanted to make something up, why didn't he schedule it for Halloween?
It's pretty obvious to me;
some folks hereabouts do seem to have reading comprehension problems, though.
"Like other holidays that are celebrated predominantly by people of color."
Why is it ok to say "people of color" but not ok to say "colored people"? And what color are "non-black" people?
Thank you so much for the info.
(I am still slightly galled by the comment I saw the MSM quoting from Pres. Bush, where he ever so humbly proclaimed, "Happy Kwanza!")
Akilah Monifa is a lesbian of African descent who is a freelance writer and independent journalist.
Akilah Monifa, "Director of Communications" for CBS 5 and The CW Bay Area.
When Akilah Monifa and Ruth Bolden decided they wanted to have a child, they didn’t realize the full extent of hurdles they would face. Living in California, a state with relatively positive LGBT-parenting laws, and specifically in the Bay Area, which is know to have a selection of services for gay and lesbian families, they thought they were well-situated.
Akilah Monifa Progressive Media Project December 23, 2006
Akilah Monifa former trainer for Spin project.
Former trainer Akilah Monifa in action.
In today's crowded media environment, organizations working to build a fair, just and equitable society can scarcely be heard. Organizations hoping to shape debates and shift public policy must embrace strategic communications to achieve their goals. The SPIN Project strengthens nonprofit social justice organizations, small and large, to communicate effectively for themselves.
The SPIN Project provides accessible and affordable strategic communications consulting, training, coaching, networking opportunities and concrete tools. Our skills and expertise are blended with our commitment to strengthening social justice organizations and helping them engage in communications to achieve their goals.
We develop communications skills, infrastructure and leadership, strengthening organizations to achieve their social justice goals.
It shows how friggin stupid they are.
What a made up religion buy a criminal? Wait sounds like Islam. Anyway Kwanza is a joke.
Kwanzaa is a fake, made-up holiday. If Kwanzaa can be a holiday, why not Festivus? In fact why can't anyone make up a holiday and have it treated as a real, traditional one? Politicians who honor a fraud like Kwanzaa should have their minds put right.
That phrase is another racist, divisive phrase dreamed up by usual gang of lib idiots. Although it is commonly used nowadays, it is a thoroughly hateful phrase. Like you said who are "people of color"? Everyone is a "person of color", but of course the people who originated that phrase have an ulterior motive. They want to create sides and further widen the gap between Americans of different ethnic backgrounds. The last thing they want is a unified country. It's curious that the people, libs, who scream the loudest about racism and discrimination do their darndest to try to create more of it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.