December 26th, 2018

Happy Kwanzaa:

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"I figure apartheid in the old South Africa didn’t end because of morality or outrage, but because of all the public toilets they had to build. See, there were four racial classifications:  white, black, coloured, and Asian.  Instead of building, let’s say in a public park, one restroom for each sex, and a single drinking fountain for everyone, the South Africans had to build eight bathrooms and four drinking fountains.  Think about it.  Cricket fields.  Amusement parks -- suppose you owned a real small telephone-booth of a diner -- a place where you could only fit about five big eaters and you had to build eight restrooms?  Crazy, huh?  Then, of course, they had to build separate septic tanks, use separate sewers…”


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edited 12/28:
​first posted 12/26/16:
(Happy Kwanzaa) 12/26 to 1/1/17:
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"Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African-Americans together as a community. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African “first fruit” (harvest) celebrations. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.
"The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase 'matunda ya kwanza' which means 'first fruits' in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture. An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31."
- History (history.com)

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