SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The South Bend Chapter Indiana Black Expo hosted its annual Kwanzaa Celebration Tuesday evening at the St. Joseph County Public Library.
The week-long tradition is a celebration of African American heritage, centered on seven different principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
Community members filled the library’s auditorium to hear the meaning of the seven principles, listened to music, danced, and ate a meal together.
Kwanzaa books written by Joseph and Akila Karanja were also given out at no charge. Akila explained Kwanzaa is all about community and the seven principles are meant to be guides used throughout the year.
“Kwanzaa is a paradigm that helps people to build a community that many times has been down trial… Kujichagulia, which means self-determination, every day of the year you need to know what you’re determined to be or else somebody’s going to push you around everywhere because you don’t know where you’re going,” said Akila.
The Kwanzaa books are also available for free at the MLK Dream Center and Charles Black Center, which were paid for by the City of South Bend. Kwanzaa runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. first, ending with a big feast and the swapping of educational gifts, like the book, so those principles can be put into motion in the new year.
“I want little children of color to see themselves in print, sometimes they don’t when they go to school. They don’t see themselves. I want them to see themselves; I want them to see what happened in the slave trade, how people came from Africa and where they went. I want them to be able to see the Underground Railroad, what it means to be free,” expressed Akila.