Students gathered on the Green during lunch to celebrate Kwanzaa on Wednesday, Dec. 11. In collaboration with the Black Student Union, Intercultural Leadership honored the holiday through a bake sale and an educational activity station.
Kwanzaa, created by activist Maulana Ron Karenga in 1966, is a week-long celebration of African-American culture that runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Each day is dedicated to one of the seven principles known as the “Nguzo Saba,” which emphasizes values like unity and faith.
During the event, students learned about the holiday and its importance to African-American culture. Leadership arranged seven signs, one for each of the principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).
“Any event that honors and shines light on all of M-A’s unique cultures is important. Kwanzaa specifically is not really talked about a lot, but it has significant history in the
Black American culture,” senior organizer Tatiola Sobomehin said.
Intercultural Leadership’s Heritage Committee made sure every detail was accounted for when organizing this event. Students enjoyed homemade pound cake while listening to music featuring black artists.
“Kwanzaa is a very valuable holiday both to the Intercultural Leadership program and to the Black community because it offers an alternative holiday celebration to mainstream Christmas or Hanukkah. It’s a celebration of the black community, its strength, and it’s just a really fun holiday,” sophomore organizer Eliza Crowe said.
“A lot of the time it’s easy to assume that all students celebrate Christmas and commercialized holidays,” Karina Flores, the Intercultural Leadership teacher, said. “There’s a lot of overlap in the things we do. It’s all about food, family, celebrating coming together—that’s where we’ve found a point of unity.”
The Kwanzaa celebration was a meaningful opportunity for students to learn about and honor Black culture and history. As students came together to celebrate, it highlighted the importance of unity, understanding, and the shared values that connect students at M-A.
*Tatiola Sobohemin is a journalist for the M-A Chronicle
