Charlotte Organizing Committee

Kwanzaa Charlotte is a collective of conscious minded individuals and organizations of self directed teams who share leadership in the mission to reaffirm and uphold the righteous, non-religious and non heroic principles of the Nguzu Saba (7 principles of kwanzaa). We use the principles of Umoja (unity), Kujichagalia (self determination) Ujimaa (collective work and responsibility) Ujamaa (cooperative economics) Nia (purpose) Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (faith) to establish stronger, more dedicated individuals, families, and communities. We are committed to building our culture through our identification of our African ancestry and the long standing traditions of family oriented societies who cherish our children, fight injustice, and show reverence for our elders, ancestors and creator. We recognize that we as an African people we are rich in a grand history that includes being the originators of the very fundamental aspects of culture such as science, math, language and medicine. We are committed to teaching children of all ages who they are and creating practices that inform and celebrate who We are as a major part of the human family.

We embrace the african philosophy of Kawaida which stresses the need for our people to build ourselves from the best of our vast history and multitude of traditions. The spirit of Kwanzaa Charlotte is best summarized by the african term Ubuntu which means “I am because we are”. This concept is embodied in the first principle of Kwanzaa Umoja (unity) or oneness of our people, our communities and of being on one accord with our environment and nature. We encourage Kujichagalia (self determination) and as a collective we define ourselves, name ourselves, speak for ourselves and create for ourselves our. Our goal in this regard is to ensure the well being of our children by allowing the greatness of their full potential to be recognized and utilized and not stifled by negative forces that would seek to destroy them. We strive to create our own ways of life as it relates to family and community based on our unique experiences and history. We understand that the “we” means that the whole shares the obligation to maintain, nurture and grow our future as expressed in the principle Ujima (collective work and responsibility). Ujamaa (cooperative economics) expresses the need for us to support each others economic growth and prosperity through financial contributions as well as the coordination of resources such as talents, skills, time, and labor. These principles guide us in our decision making and give us Nia (purpose) which is our direction. Kuumba (creativity) is manifest through our desire to add beauty and originality to all our endeavors and leave the world we inherited better off for the generations to come. We rely on Imani (faith) to continue to get us through the many adversities we face in our families, communities and society. It is our faith in the righteousness of our struggle to be a more unified and self sustaining people that will continue to strengthen our cause and is what makes Kwanzaa Charlotte an open community of those willing to make the sacrifice and do the work necessary to achieve a better condition for our people.

Heri Za Kwanzaa!!! Happy Kwanzaa!!!