Both the name and celebration of Kwanzaa were originally conceptualised by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at the California State University, and a pioneer of Afrocentrism.
Both the name and celebration of Kwanzaa were originally conceptualised by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at the California State University, and a pioneer of Afrocentrism. A community event, Kwanzaa draws African American, and other members of the African diaspora together with their families in a poignant celebration of African familial and social values. The festival has seven core principles: unity ( umoja), self-determination ( kujichagulia), collective responsibility ( ujima), cooperative economics ( ujamaa), purpose ( nia), creativity ( kuumba), and faith ( imani).