Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration held in the United States that honors African heritage in African American culture. Kwanzaa is observed from December 26th to January 1st and culminates in gift giving and a big feast.
- Unity:Umoja (oo–MO–jah)
- Self-determination: Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah)
- Collective Work and Responsibility: Ujima (oo–GEE–mah)
- Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa (oo–JAH–mah)
- Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH)
- Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)
- Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee)
Kwanzaa has seven core principles, or Nguzo Saba:
1. Umoja: Unity – To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
2. Kujichagulia: Self-Determination – To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
3. Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility – To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and solve them together.
4. Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics – To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
5. Nia: Purpose – To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
6. Kuumba: Creativity – To always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
7. Imani: Faith – To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Mike Russell
Academic Chair – School of Information Systems and Technology & School of Design
