Kwanzaa

A Book Celebrating Ujamaa and Nia

December 30, 2011 by Mocha Girl Alysia Leave a Comment

Today is the fifth day of Kwanzaa celebrating Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. This day follows Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), and Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics).

Kwanzaa Family

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States honoring universal African-American heritage and culture, observed from December 26 to January 1 each year. It features activities such as lighting a candle holder with seven candlesand culminates in a feast and gift-giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and was first celebrated in 1966–67.

Yesterday completely stumped me. I could not think of a book celebrating Ujamaa. I should have just asked you all. What book have you read that fits Ujamaa (To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.)?

Nia is celebrated today. Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. For some reason a book I read a long time ago seems to come to mind. Don’t laugh but...Harry Potter! Yes, I said it. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowlings is about a boy finding his purpose to help his friends, school and community to overcome the One Who Must Not Be Named!

Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That’s because he’s being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he’s really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.

What book have you read that celebrates “make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness”?

Happy Kwanzaa!

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: african american heritage, african-american, book, celebrate, family, fifth day of kwanzaa, j k rowlings, Kwanzaa

A Book Celebrating Ujima

December 28, 2011 by Mocha Girl Alysia 1 Comment

The third day of Kwanza is called in Swahili Ujima and it means (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. This comes right after Umoja (Unity) the first day and Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) on the second day.

Did you know the holiday has also spread to Canada, and is celebrated by Black Canadians in a similar fashion as in the United States, and has also gained popularity in France, Great Britain, Jamaica and Brazil.

The one book that comes to mind that celebrates Ujima is a book I started at awhile ago but never finished until last week. Little Bee by Chris Cleave is a book that embodies the principle of making someone else’s problems your own. But you won’t know this until you get to the end of the book.

It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:

It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.

The story starts there, but the book doesn’t.

And it’s what happens afterward that is most important.

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

What book have you read that celebrates “building and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together”?

Happy Kwanzaa!

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Books, Kwanzaa, reading, Ujima

A Book Celebrating: Kujichagulia

December 27, 2011 by Mocha Girl Alysia 4 Comments

Yesterday was the first day of Kwanzaa, Umoja (Unity). Today is the second day, Kujichagulia (Self-Determination). Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves stand up.

Kwanzaa

There is one book that comes to mind and yes it was made into a movie like yesterday’s book. PUSH by Sapphire is about a young girl going from illiterate teenager to a single mother who learned to read and seeks help to help herself and her child. PUSH is one book that I think celebrates Kujichagulia!

Precious Movie Still

Relentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this “horrific, hope-filled story” (Newsday) is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption.

What book have you read that celebrates “defining ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves stand up”?

Happy Kwanzaa!

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Books, Kujichagulia, Kwanzaa, PUSH

Monday’s Memory for December 26, 2011

December 26, 2011 by Mocha Girl Alysia 8 Comments

Happy Day After Christmas! And happy first day of Kwanzaa!! Today is Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Today we are going to talk about books we have read that celebrate the meaning of Umoja.

Kwanzaa family

When I put umoja with a book title, the one that sticks out the most is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The young journalist, Skeeter would not have had the story for the book without the help of the other women. One womans voice could not tell the full and complete story. She needed the unity of a community of black women agreeing to tell their stories to make the book complete.

The Help Movie

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who’s always taken orders quietly, but lately she’s unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She’s full of ambition, but without a husband, she’s considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town…

That is umoja!!

For this Monday tell me…What book have you read that celebrates maintaining unity in the family, community, nation or the race?