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TRUE KWANZAA

     The struggle to preserve Kwanzaa’s role as a tool for Black Liberation has gone on since its inception: the more Kwanzaa gains acceptance in mainstream society, the more it is altered to serve the purposes of that society. We at USC believe that Kwanzaa must continue to provide people of African descent a Pan African holiday that truly supports our freedom struggle.
     The revisionism that Kwanzaa faces is sometimes commercial, and at other times political and/or cultural. What we increasingly find is that Umoja (Unity) becomes not the unity of Black people, but the unity of all Americans or the whole world, etc. That Kujichagulia (Self-determination) becomes individual license of personal ambition, rather than our people’s need and/or right to determine our collective political destiny. Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility) becomes simply the individual’s willingness to work, rather than working together for the sake of our community. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) becomes individualized (capitalistic) economics rather than cooperative economics. Nia (Purpose) becomes any goal, rather than the goal of restoring our people to our traditional greatness. Kuuinba (Creativity) becomes simply making something attractive rather than leaving our community more beautiful and beneficial that we inherited it. While Imani (Faith) represents the individual’s faith in God and in Kwanzaa, it also represents our faith in each other and the righteousness of our struggle.
     For the past 30 years the Kwanzaa Planning Committee of USC has served the conscious Pan African community in DC and the broader Slack community by producing the yearly Kwanzaa calendar of events, sponsoring and conducting several Kwanzaa events each year, and financially supporting the Kwanzaa events of others that we feel live up to Kwanzaa’s original purpose. Through this long-standing volunteer effort we insure that, at least in DC, TRUE KWANZAA is practiced as it was originally intended.
 

Kwanzaa Events Calendar 2005-06

Pre-Kwanzaa Events
• December 17th — Marketplace Expo, Reeves Center 14th & U Streets NW, 10 AM to 6 PM.
• December 17th — AFSANI Pre-Kwanzaa Bazaar, 3417 23rd St. SE (202) 247-1 211
• December 18th — Pre-Kwanzaa at MLK Library, 9th & G St. (Room AS), 2:00 - 4:00 PM, 9AM to 4 PM
• December 25th — Odwira Ancestral Akom Sponsored by the Temple of Nyame, 949 Bonifant St. Silver Spring, MD 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Call (202) 678-3100 for more information.

UMOJA (Unity) — Mon., Dec. 26th
• Candle-lighting Celebration & Program; the Afrocentric Academic Challenge, Dinner Sales & African Market Place; 7:00 pm. Sponsored by the UBC & the Independent Afrikan Schools at Roots Public Charter School, 15 Kennedy St. NW. Call (301) 277-7809 or (202) 529-3635.
• 48tb Annual Celebration Performance of the African Heritage Dancers & Drummers, 7:00 pm. New Art Recreation Center, Miss. & Southern Ave. SE. Call (202) 399-5252 for more information.

KUJICHAGULIA (Self-determination) — Tues, Dec. 27th
• Candle Lighting Service and Program, 7:30 pm. Sponsored by The Ausar Auset Society, at Kima Public Charter School, 100 Peabody St. NW. (202) 723-5566

UJIMA (Collective Work & Responsibility) — Wed., Dec. 28th
• Youth discussion on Pan Africanism & Hip-hop, 6:00 PM, sponsored by United Black Community. Sweet Mango Cafe, 3701 New Hampshire Ave. NW DC. Call (202) 526-4039 or (202) 72-MANGO.
• Kwanzaa Candle-lighting Service sponsored by House of Ra Inner Attainment and Friends. Hip-Hop, Go-Go, Neo-Soul & Poetry. 7:00 pm. Sweet Mango Cafe, 3701 New Hampshire Ave. NW DC. Call (202) 368-5020 or (202) 72-MANGO.

UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics) — Thurs., Dec. 29t1
• Candle Lighting Service & Program, 7:00 pm. Sponsored by Ujamaa Shule, 8’ & Q Sts. NW. Call (202) 232-2997.

NIA (Purpose) — Fri., Dec. 30th
• Candle-lighting Service & Program, 7:00 pm. Sponsored by The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) Div. 330. Roots Activity Learning Center, 6222 North Capitol St. NW. Feast, African market place, Spoken word, etc. Call (202) 529-3635.
• Kwanzaa Harvest Festival, 7:00 pm. Sponsored by the Yoruba Temple. Mt. Ararat Outreach Center, 4809 Suitland Rd, Suitland, MD. Call (202) 667-0681

KUUMBA (Creativity) — Sat, Dec. 31st
• 35th Annual Kwanzaa Children’s Celebration, Plymouth Congregational Church, 5301 No. Capital St. NW. 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Sponsored by Kwanzaa Children’s Party, Inc. & The Children and Youth Ministry Program. Ages 3—12, adult must accompany children. Call (202) 363-5887 or (202) 390-3164.
• Candle-lighting Service & Karamu (Feast), 7:30 pm, Spoken Word & Dance Music by Eric Lewis &
Friends. Sponsored by UBC, Umoja House, 2015 Bunker Hill Road NE. Bring a wholesome African!
natural food dish to share and come bring in the new year with us! Call (202) 526-4039 or (202) 529-
3635.

IMANI (Faith) — Sun, Jan. 2006
• Free The Land Annual Kwanzaa 3.1 mile - 5 mile Fun Run, Walk. 11 AM, Lake Artemesia Park, Greenbelt, MD. Call (202) 726-6960 for more information and directions.
• Kwanzaa Imani Celebration and African Consciousness Award Presentation, 7:00 pm. (This year’s recipient: Tony Browder). Nation House, 770 Park Road NW, sponsored by UBC & ADACI. Call (202) 526-4039 or (301) 277-7809.
 

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