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Title: Kwanzaa Popularity Falling? Some Say That it Is
Source:
black voices dot com
URL Source: http://blogs.blackvoices.com/2009/1 ... falling-some-say-that-it-is%2F
Published: Dec 20, 2009
Author: Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD
Post Date: 2009-12-20 07:40:59 by sneakypete
Ping List: *Religious History and Issues* Subscribe to *Religious History and Issues*
Keywords: culture wars, black racism
Views: 1808
Comments: 8
Some experts say that the popularity of the traditional African-American holiday, Kwanzaa, is leveling off. According to research by Dr. Keith Mayes, an assistant professor of African-American Studies at The University of Minnesota, the celebration of Kwanzaa among African Americans is between 500,000 to 2 million out of the 40 million people identified by the U.S. Census as "black." These numbers, if accurate, imply that the number of Kwanzaa loyalists may not have grown much from the initial push 20 years ago. The perceived slow down in Kwanzaa adoption obviously gives reason for pause, as we have to analyze Dr. Mayes' findings a bit more deeply. This is not to imply that his conclusions are inaccurate, but there may be something deeper going on. Here are some thoughts on Kwanzaa and it's perceived decline in popularity. 1) A "leveling off" is not the same as a decline: Not to be nit-picky here, but one can argue that leveling off is a "glass half empty" concept in the sense that it doesn't mean that the popularity of Kwanzaa is declining (which I don't think that Dr. Mayes is implying). Instead, it means that there are people who love Kwanzaa and are committed to it. The lack of growth may be connected to a lack of marketing and public education. Since the creation of Kwanzaa by Ron Karenga, executive director of the African-American Culture Center in Los Angeles, there have been shifts in the needs and priorities of people of color. In the 1960s and 1970s, black empowerment and civil rights were fundamental to our struggle. Twenty years of economic prosperity, though, can lead to a reduction in conscious activism and a greater focus on assimilation, but trends can always reverse. 2) Post-racial America anyone? One of the interesting things about Kwanzaa is that the Obamas don't celebrate the holiday. The Obamas dismissal of Kwanzaa leads some to feel that most African Americans would never be interested in the holiday. This could not be further from the truth. While they are certainly to be admired, Barack and Michelle Obama are not the essence of black America. Instead, the Obamas are a beautiful family that must behave in a way that maintains their political popularity. One piece of evidence that America is not yet post-racial is the fact that the Obamas would likely lose votes if they were to openly celebrate Kwanzaa. Yes, folks, that fact is a reminder that in America, unapologetic blackness is still heavily stigmatized. Kwanzaa Charity Gift GuideTaxi/Getty Images8 photos Get in the holiday spirit of sharing and giving! Give to charities that correspond to the principles of Kwanzaa!(Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker) xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpu...pid=789787&uts=1261172435 www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_g...media_gallery_wrapper.swf Kwanzaa Charity Gift Guide Get in the holiday spirit of sharing and giving! Give to charities that correspond to the principles of Kwanzaa! Taxi/Getty Images AP Cheap, Great Gifts for $5 DVDs Much like a book exchanges, giving funky movies and TV shows on DVD can be a great, and inexpensive way to share with your inner circle. Check you local Wal-Mart, among other retailers, to pin down great DVD bargains. Creative Candle Garden A candle garden is created by artfully arranging various types of candles on a plate (not pictured here), and accenting the design of this gift with colored pebbles or other touches. You can get really inventive with this item, taking findings common to most dollar stores and transforming them into a versatile and romantic offering. 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These items are often available in sets for a low cost that can be divided to create individual gifts. Homemade Soap, Bath Salts & Lip Gloss Most women love bath and body products, and home made versions of these pampering treats always seem extra special. Much like fresh baked cakes and cookies, the ingredients it takes to make these products are super-cheap, and you can make several gifts with one bulk purchase. You can create dozens of flavored lip glosses from a $3 jar of Vaseline, or two pretty jars of scented bath salts with a carton of Epsom salt. You major investment will be in the containers you choose for your creations,, but these can be had for pennies per gift. jupiterimages Puzzle Books Puzzle Books make great gifts for travelers, children, and people who love to relax at home. There is really no limit to the kinds of puzzle books you can find for five dollars and less. Shop around to find just the right items for your favorite companions. Soft Slippers Soft slippers will make a welcome addition to any woman's winter wardrobe. As the economy shrinking is making for many more nights spent cuddling at home for entertainment, soft are a perfect complement to an evening of soothing snuggles. Custom-Printed Stainless Steel Water Bottle What a great way to take care of your whole holiday list at once. If you buy 25 or more pieces from Discountmugs.com, you can give a custom-printed stainless steel water bottle to all your family members, co-workers, neighbors and friends for five dollars or less (the more you buy). The custom saying you print on the bottle will be a positive reminder of your feelings for your loved ones every time they take a sip. Five Below Sports Items Get a variety of cheap gifts for all the sports fans on your list at a wonderful site for thrifty shoppers called Five Below. This site features an array of wonderful items from a wide variety of teams, all for five bucks or less! 3) More research on the trend might be needed: 500,000 to 2 million is a fairly broad range, when attempting to guess the number of African Americans who celebrate Kwanzaa. This is not to undermine the research of Dr. Mayes, but I'd love to see more statisticians get involved in order to get an accurate assessment of the trends of Kwanzaa celebration. When there are AP articles on Kwanzaa quoting the likes of Jesse Lee Peterson(who wrote that the black victims of Hurricane Katrina were victimized more by their "moral poverty" than by government inaction), I wonder if the alleged decline in Kwanzaa celebration is simply wishful thinking. Although he has a right to his opinion, Jesse Lee Peterson should not be deciding the fate of black America. African Americans such as Peterson sometimes leverage the honest work of good scholars like Dr. Mayes for their own political benefit. 4) Many African Americans may not celebrate Kwanzaa, but they respect it: My family doesn't always celebrate Kwanzaa, but it's not because we think the holiday should disappear. After all of the psychological, emotional and financial energy spent on Christmas, we just don't have the "juice" for another holiday. I am willing to bet that a survey among African Americans would reveal that most black people have respect for Kwanzaa, even if they don't celebrate it themselves. So the alleged leveling off of Kwanzaa should not imply that the holiday is obsolete. 5) It's time for us to become informed: If there is indeed a "leveling off" in the celebration of Kwanzaa, then perhaps educating the public on the principles might be a great way to increase participation. In fact, I often wonder why it is out of the question for every major university to require students to study Kwanzaa as part of their college curriculum. If I am forced to learn details of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Christopher Columbus and other people who don't mean a thing to me, then why can't other students learn about the things that matter to my community? 6) Commercialization plays a role: Christmas has become more about trips to Walmart than Jesus. Corporate America tells us that if your Christmas celebration doesn't involve your Visa card, then you've completely missed the point. To that extent, commercialization has played a huge role in the popularity of Christmas every year. By rejecting excessive commercialization, it is only natural that a young celebration like Kwanzaa will have a relatively weak following. This is a good thing, actually, since Christmas has become something that I can't quite recognize anymore. 7) Why not discuss Kwanzaa year round? The 7 principles of Kwanzaa are not concepts that should be applied once a year. They are ideas that work for the entire year. I propose that we consider renewing our commitment to the principles of Kwanzaa once a month, making Kwanzaa a deeper part of the black social infrastructure. The bottom line is that Kwanzaa is not dying and it is not dead. I consider the research by Dr. Mayes to be a call to refresh and remind ourselves about the beauty of being black. America is a melting pot of cultures, and if being post-racial means that we all have to be the same, then I don't want any part of that. Continued at link with photos and a poll
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#1. To: All (#0)
Ahhh,yes,Kwanzaa. The "traditional African ceremony" that is neither traditional NOR African,and is celebrated by a bunch of Americans that have about as much in common with Africans as they do Eskimos,and who celebrate this bogus "African" holiday by dressing up in "traditional African garb" that was actually created by white traders that swapped it to African "Kings" for gold,diamonds,and slaves. A bogus holiday created by a bogus professor with a bogus name. Ron Karenga is really Ronald McKinley Everett,a convicted felon and former prisoner who went to prison for felony assault and enslaving (false imprisonment) someone,which ironically enough,ARE old African traditions. In FACT,the two women he went to prison for torturing and imprisoning were two black women who were members of The United Slaves, a black nationalist cult he had founded. And of course slavery IS a old African tradition,so it's no wonder these retards with PHD's in black history worship this man and admire him so much. Read more about the background and history of the Black Hero of Kwanzaa here. http://www.nathanielturner.com/karenga2.htm Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the names and titles he gave himself after getting out of prison: "During this time, he took on the title "maulana", an Arabic word literally meaning "our lord" or "our master" and has been borrowed into the Swahili language, where it is used also as a title of respect for revered members of a community, religious or secular, roughly equivalent to the English "Sir". "Karenga" meant "nationalist."[5] Earlier, he had called himself Ron Ndabezitha Everett-Karenga; Ndabezitha being Zulu for "your majesty." He formed the US Organization, an outspoken Black nationalist group." I guess he shortened his name to Ron Karenga because there wasn't room to write "Your Magesty,our lord and master" on his welfare checks. 5) It's time for us to become informed: Yes,indeed,but I have my doubts about that ever happening. If there is indeed a "leveling off" in the celebration of Kwanzaa, then perhaps educating the public on the principles might be a great way to increase participation. While you are at it,why not educate the public on the fact that there is nothing traditional or African about it? In fact, I often wonder why it is out of the question for every major university to require students to study Kwanzaa as part of their college curriculum. That's because you are an idiot with the reasoning ability of a toad. If I am forced to learn details of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Christopher Columbus and other people who don't mean a thing to me, then why can't other students learn about the things that matter to my community? Uhhhh,because you are a American,NOT a African,and your community is one of racist black fools who like to pose as Africans,but lack the guts to move to Africa. Because YOUR "community" is made up of racists,communists,and criminals,with most being all three. And most importantly,celebrating your bullshit holiday is akin to celebrating the birthday of Daffy Duck. Just keeping it "Real",bro!
LOL Are they serious? They've been pushing this for ages! In fact, I hope they do more. It gives us an opportunity to point out sadist, evil felon who created it out of thin air to a whole new generation!
Are you kidding? These are the same people who push Black History,pursue and hand out doctorates in it,and even believe it themselves.
Didn't Jorge Boosh celebrate Kwanzaa at the White House? Why, yes, I believe he did!
Yes,but in his defense,he probably didn't understand what it was all about. Somebody showed him something shiny,and he got all excited and distracted.
And if it rattles, wow!
Are you encouraged to get drunk during Kwanzaa? If so, that would explain it.
Some experts say that the popularity of the traditional African-American holiday, Kwanzaa, is leveling off
#2. To: sneakypete (#1)
#3. To: sneakypete (#1)
The lack of growth may be connected to a lack of marketing and public education.
#4. To: borntoweardiamonds (#3)
LOL Are they serious?
#5. To: sneakypete (#4)
#6. To: Abcdefg (#5)
Didn't Jorge Boosh celebrate Kwanzaa at the White House? Why, yes, I believe he did!
#7. To: sneakypete (#6)
Somebody showed him something shiny,and he got all excited and distracted.
#8. To: Abcdefg (#5)
Didn't Jorge Boosh celebrate Kwanzaa at the White House? Why, yes, I believe he did!
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