The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

The foundation of Kwanzaa are the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. When Dr. Karenga created the celebration of Kwanzaa he wanted to reflect the best qualities and characteristics of the "first fruit" or harvest festivals that were celebrated throughout Africa. It was these qualities that established the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. 

The Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa are:

(Nguzo Saba is Kiswahili for Seven Principles)

On each Day of Kwanzza, a family member ights a candle, then discusses one of the seven principles.  The principles, along with Karenga's elucidation of them in 1965, are:

(Unity)  To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. (Self Determination) To define ourselves, name ourelves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for, and spoken for by others. (Collective Work and Responsibility) To build and maintain our community together and to make our sister and brothers problems our problems and to solve (Cooperative Economics)   To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from these together.   To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our communityu in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. (Creativity)  To do always as much as we can, in whatever way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. (Faith)  To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and in the righteousness and victory or our struggle.