Imani: Faith -To believe with all our hearts in our God, our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle Here we are at final day of Kwanzaa and the first day of 2019. … Continue reading Imani: Faith

Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it Kuumba was always my favorite day because I get to share … Continue reading Kuumba: Creativity

Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. When I look in the mirror, I see Deborah-Lolli-Mom-Aunt-Sister-Friend. But when I step outside of my … Continue reading Nia: Purpose

Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics – To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together This is this one of the most difficult of all the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles). In the 21st century. How … Continue reading Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics

Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility – To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together The Saturday before thanksgiving, I made 20 dozen dinner rolls and the next day … Continue reading Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility

Kujichagulia: Self Determination – To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. My daughter has an unusual name. It is literally something her biological parents made up so she’d have the same initials as her older brother. … Continue reading Kujichagulia: Self Determination

Umoja: Unity – To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race 75 years ago, during the great Negro migration, my grandparents moved from Tennessee to Chicago. Living first in a tenement on the west-side, then … Continue reading Umoja: Unity