HOPE and VICTORY

Submitted by: Reverend Teddy Smith, Master of Divinity Kujichagulia ( Self-Determination) – is our collective, communal right “to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.” Herein lays the reason why Kwanzaa will continue to be a third-rate holiday on the African-American “religious” calendar. When Black Americans hear “self,” we think “individual.” The notions of collective or communal work and responsibility (Ujima); cooperative enterprise (Ujamaa); and, collective purpose (Nia); that inform Kwanzaa are foreign to how we are socialized about what it means to be truly “American.” Self-sufficiency and self-absorption as important for anything other than individuals will always trump a collective or communal ideal.

Umoja (Unity), to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. This first principle in the Kwanzaa’s NGUZO SABAS (7 principles) is one that speaks to power, Umoja means unity. A house united will stand. A house divided will not stand. Is the black community divided? Is it unified? Is it standing? This principal, Umoja, is what this article speaks too--its relevance, its meaning, its awareness in the supposedly community that we are apart of. Depending on the perspective, the black community could be or could not be standing or unified. On the surface, it appears that Blacks in America have made great strides. Recently, it (Black community) claimed the first black man being elected to be President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. On the surface, this powerful symbolism of success makes it appear that Blacks have arrived. If we choose to identify the success of one or a few Blacks as how we gage success for the Black community, I would contend ...