Kwanzaa on the Net - Lighting The Kwanzaa Kinara

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

The foundation of Kwanzaa are the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. When Dr. Karenga created the celebration of Kwanzaa he wanted to reflect the best qualities and characteristics of the "first fruit" or harvest festivals that were celebrated throughout Africa. It was these qualities that established the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. (Nguzo Saba is Kiswahili for Seven Principles).

The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa are:

Umoja (oo-MOH-jah): Unity

Success starts with Unity. Unity of family, community, nation and race.
Kujichagulia (koo-jee-chah-goo-LEE-ah): Self-Determination

To be responsible for ourselves. To create your own destiny.
Ujima (oo-JEE-mah): Collective work and responsibility

To build and maintain your community together. To work together to help one another within your community.
Ujamaa (oo-jah-MAH): Collective economics

To build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments, and businesses.
Nia (NEE-ah): Purpose

To restore African American people to their traditional greatness. To be responsible to Those Who Came Before (our ancestors) and to Those Who Will Follow (our descendants).
Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah): Creativity

Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.
Imani (ee-MAH-nee): Faith

Believing in our people, our families, our educators, our leaders, and the righteousness of the African American struggle.

Add Comment

Name:
E-Mail:
Location:
Message:

Comments

Donald Mack

08:15 01/02/2012

You have the best web site for the ORIGINAL AFRICAN EGYPTIANS. Thank you

noble cobbins from California, US

17:59 01/01/2012

7 principles

clee from United States

18:39 12/29/2011

learned these words and they are weird

David Solomon

08:27 12/27/2011

do you observe kwanzaa!

Lakeeta from Illinois, US

02:42 12/27/2011

I think this is a great web site I learned about all these things as a child and I feel it has helped me become the woman I am today. Thanks for giving the youth of today the knowledge that only a few of us had when I was growing up

Nzingha Shabaka from Louisiana, US

22:07 12/17/2011

We really love this site. We hope that it will be here for a long time. Thank you, from (parent and children)

python from United States

01:33 12/16/2011

it would be nice if every black person would celebrate kwanzaa, it would help empower the community as a whole

$$$$$$ from Indiana, US

19:26 12/14/2011

This is wonderful.Ilike the idea.

keke from New York, US

17:54 12/13/2011

hi i love kwanza i really want to celebrate with people

Khalia from Florida, US

10:09 12/13/2011

I love the 7 of these

Visit our other holiday celebrations