Kwanzaa is very important in the LGBT community. It's not just a holiday, it's a way of life. Many of us, who are ole school, recognize that had it not been for the fact that Kwanzaa came into fruition just about the time that we were "coming of age", we might not have become the responsible, cultural, political elders that we are today. Success to us is not measured by the amount of money we make or by the titles we have or the letters we might have behind our names. It is measured by the commitment one has to one's family and to one's community, and ultimately to one's people. In 1966, Dr Maulana Karanga introduced the concept of Kwanzaa to The African American Community. When I look back, I can see that it was a radical proposal, at the time. By engaging in the practice of Kwanzaa, African peoples were destined to find out more about our Heritage and spend time reflecting on "Principles " that had in essence been taken away from us during SLAVERY IN THIS COUNTRY AND THROUGH-OUT THE DIASPORA. So that Kwanzaa in theory and in practice becomes a Revolutionary vehicle for Black people to move forward . Kwanzaa is structured around the Nguzo Saba. They are The Seven Principles that can be applied to every facit of Black Life. It was probably the best Christmas present that ,we as a people ,ever received. Kwanzaa was devised so that it begins the day after Christmas . Some people refer to it as "The Black Christmas". However Kwanzaa has nothing to do with Christmas. It is not a Religious Holiday. The best way to describe Kwanzaa is to say that it is an African American Celebration that takes place over a period of seven days, and is traditionally celebrated in seven different homes. With the advent of Kwanzaa ,in the African American / African Caribbean Communities, came the insight that one did not need to spend a lot of money ,shopping for Christmas gifts. Black People , like others were spending money that we didn't have. So in some circles, Kwanzaa became an alternative to Christmas. And increasing numbers of us, began making gifts (zawadii)
There is no way that Dr Karanga could have known what the impact of his contribution would have been on The Black LGBT Community. In 1977, I was 37 years old. My wife then was Naema and we were raising a son together and living in my newly renovated Harlem Brownstone. It just so happened that our son was attending an African Alternative School. It was there that I learned about The Nzuzo Saba and was able to bring this concept to the first meeting that I attended at Salsa Soul Sisters, Inc. That organization is now re-named African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change, or AALUSC. It is the oldest Lesbian org in the world. My new sisters embraced the idea of Kwanzaa as a project that we could take on. Several of the women had heard about the holiday. Cassandra , like myself was already celebrating the "Festival of The First Fruits " with her students. There weren't many LGBT Families raising children together in those days. Adoption Agencies were so homophobic that they wouldn't allow same sex couples to adopt and invitrofertalization wasn't an option. However, there were always single lesbians and bisexual women raising children they either had "out of wedlock"or as a result of a previous marriage. Those children, I am proud to say, were raised by the black lesbian community. Kwanzaa gave us the Principles to view other people's children as our own and to create community where there was no community. Back in the beginning, the third Thursday was designated as :The Pre-Kwanzaa. ( a tradition that continues even to this day). Pre-Kwanzaas then , was all about the children. We painted their faces,dressed them in African clothes, played drums ,taught them African songs and dances, told them Anansi stories and then listened to the amazing stories the children created. Very often we would break up into groups and the children would perform original skits that expressed the meaning of each of the seven principles. Everything , was under the direction of The Ancestors. Most of us were in our twenties and thirties. There were a few members of the organization who were younger. Maua was our esteemed elder and later became my very best friend.OUR PARENTS FOR THE MOST PART WERE NOT DOWN WITH OUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES. They feared for our safety. Our mothers and grandmothers, before us, had protected us from the wrath of racists whose prime objective was to violate little Black girls, so we would not grow up to be proud, confident, courageous Black Women in the society. Their concern became, what was going to happen to their daughters who chose to be different. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the opposition we faced in those days, especially from the Matriachs came from a place of profound love. It then became the task of The Ancestors
There is no way that Dr Karanga could have known what the impact of his contribution would have been on The Black LGBT Community. In 1977, I was 37 years old. My wife then was Naema and we were raising a son together and living in my newly renovated Harlem Brownstone. It just so happened that our son was attending an African Alternative School. It was there that I learned about The Nzuzo Saba and was able to bring this concept to the first meeting that I attended at Salsa Soul Sisters, Inc. That organization is now re-named African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change, or AALUSC. It is the oldest Lesbian org in the world. My new sisters embraced the idea of Kwanzaa as a project that we could take on. Several of the women had heard about the holiday. Cassandra , like myself was already celebrating the "Festival of The First Fruits " with her students. There weren't many LGBT Families raising children together in those days. Adoption Agencies were so homophobic that they wouldn't allow same sex couples to adopt and invitrofertalization wasn't an option. However, there were always single lesbians and bisexual women raising children they either had "out of wedlock"or as a result of a previous marriage. Those children, I am proud to say, were raised by the black lesbian community. Kwanzaa gave us the Principles to view other people's children as our own and to create community where there was no community. Back in the beginning, the third Thursday was designated as :The Pre-Kwanzaa. ( a tradition that continues even to this day). Pre-Kwanzaas then , was all about the children. We painted their faces,dressed them in African clothes, played drums ,taught them African songs and dances, told them Anansi stories and then listened to the amazing stories the children created. Very often we would break up into groups and the children would perform original skits that expressed the meaning of each of the seven principles. Everything , was under the direction of The Ancestors. Most of us were in our twenties and thirties. There were a few members of the organization who were younger. Maua was our esteemed elder and later became my very best friend.OUR PARENTS FOR THE MOST PART WERE NOT DOWN WITH OUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES. They feared for our safety. Our mothers and grandmothers, before us, had protected us from the wrath of racists whose prime objective was to violate little Black girls, so we would not grow up to be proud, confident, courageous Black Women in the society. Their concern became, what was going to happen to their daughters who chose to be different. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the opposition we faced in those days, especially from the Matriachs came from a place of profound love. It then became the task of The Ancestors