Kwanzaa celebrated in Haynesville amid call for youth to be told ‘the truth’

As Barbados joins African-Americans in honouring Kwanzaa, the vibrant celebrations found their rhythm in Haynesville, where the tight-knit St James community revelled in a cultural parade and rally on Wednesday.

Kwanzaa is an African-American festival that takes place annually from December 26 to January 1. Founded by activist and Africana studies professor Dr Maulana Karenga in 1966, it is a week-long observance that honours and celebrates African heritage and seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Day two of the festivities centred on the principle of Kujichagulia – self-determination. This principle encourages individuals to define, name, and advocate for themselves and is a call for self-empowerment.

One of the Haynesville event’s organisers, Kelvin Carvalho, highlighted its alignment with the National Kwanzaa Festival. He noted that the celebration is a Pan-African holiday fostering unity through history, values, family, community, and culture. Kwanzaa transcends religious affiliations, emphasising universal human values.

Carvalho, who is from the Office of Government’s Special envoy on Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement, stressed the importance of embedding the seven principles of Kwanzaa into the core identity of black heritage, advocating for a truthful narrative rather than adopting traditions incompatible with the lived experiences of black individuals.

“[We] have been doing this for some time now but we have injected some momentum into it, to make it bigger and also to educate our brothers and sisters and our children. We looked at the seven principles of Kwanzaa and believe it should be the bedrock in the roots of who we are as black people,” he said.

“We should not be singing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire and I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. It is unreal. It is not the truth. We need to start feeding our children, the future of tomorrow, the truth so that all works will not be in vain.”

He urged Barbadians to embrace Kwanzaa as a “refreshing” celebration that addresses societal issues, particularly among the youth.

Carvalho also emphasised the need for increased government investment in grassroots initiatives, community groups, and youth commissioners.

“As Errol Walton Barrow said, ‘What is your mirror image?’ . . . . What have you done to contribute to the future? So that when they look into the future, can we see positive holistic things happening within our communities? We need to keep on stressing on it,” he insisted.

The name Kwanzaa is derived from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits,” emphasising the festival’s focus on harvest and community.

During Kwanzaa, families come together to light seven candles in a kinara, a candleholder with seven branches representing the seven principles, known as the Nguzo Saba. Each day, a new candle is lit, and discussions often centre around the values associated with that day.

Each of the seven principles and its corresponding day is assigned a Swahili name: Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith).

Traditional African symbols, colours, and rituals are incorporated into the celebrations, which include feasts, storytelling, music, and dance. Kwanzaa is intended to serve as a time for reflection, connection, and the reaffirmation of cultural identity within the African-American community and the wider African diaspora. (RG)