I celebrated Kwanzaa growing up from the late 1970s - 2015 with strong values in empathy, compassion, faith, affection, loyalty, commitment, trust, passion, respect, honor, resilience, and determination.
“Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African and African-American culture that takes place from December 26 to January 1:
Purpose
Kwanzaa's purpose is to:Celebrate African-American history, values, family, community, and culture
Reaffirm traditional communal values of African culture
Foster a sense of unity between Africans and people of African descent
Origin
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, rapist, an activist and professor of Africana Studies.
Name
Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, which means "first fruits."Principles
Kwanzaa's seven guiding principles are:Umoja (Unity)
Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Nia (Purpose)
Kuumba (Creativity)
Imani (Faith).”
Since I was a toddler who attended NationHouse from 1978 - 1991, I was always drawn to the color red. I use this color often in my art. This color represents faith, creativity, artistic expression and affection.