A Kwanzaa Experience presented by M Ensemble & Diaspora Arts Coalition

About Kwanzaa....

Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Kwanzaa was

created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor of Africana Studies at California State University. Karenga, an author,

scholar and activist felt there was an indispensable need to preserve, continually revitalize and promote African American

culture. Celebrated from the 26st of December thru the 1st of January, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of

Africa from which it takes its name. The celebration focuses on seven principles known as the (Nguzo Saba). The name

Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language

which is believed to be the most widely spoken African language. Kwanzaa builds on the five fundamental activities of

Continental African "first fruit" celebrations: ingathering; reverence; commemoration; recommitment; and celebration.

Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, thus available to and practiced by Africans of all religious faiths who

come together based on the rich, ancient, and varied common ground of their Africanness.

Host or Publisher Diaspora Arts Coalition