The Nguzo Saba - The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

I used to think that Kwanzaa was lame, because it was made-up.

Then I thought better (and realized every holiday is made-up.)

Then I thought it was lame because it was pushed by the same people who insist you use the term "African-American", but think using the term is all you need to be racially aware and you can go on thinking all drug dealers are dangerous black people.

Then I heard that Kwanzaa was considered too radical by some.

So now I think it's kinda cool. Like the principles, and stuff. So here it is on my blog, so I'll know where to look for it if I want to read it again.

NGUZO SABA (The Seven Principles)

Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

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.

Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

­ Maulana Karenga

(The quitting smoking is continuing. It's gotten psychological and lame.)


And besides this, Bush abdicandum est*.
(*Bush must resign)