It is important to understand, whether or not Karenga’s organization does or not, that there can be a concept of community without conformity and without the notion of robotic obedience. This is one of the reasons that I gave an explanation of some African philosophical concepts before presenting the principles. Diversity, disdain for excess, the significance of the individual voice, and the possibility of divine interruption into human affairs through the voice of a transcendent spirit speaking through the voice of believers are all important to place these principles within a context that existed before Karnga.

As for Santa Claus, it is important to understand this figure as an archetype, as a personification of something larger than just a fat man in a red suit bringing presents to children.

Thanks again for your comments.

Peace,
Valerie

Yes, of course, just about anything can be made to mean “shut up and do as you’re told” if you embed it in a cultural context that insists on hierarchy of that kind. I hear you!

But does that mean we can’t decide for ourselves what our chosen principles mean? I don’t accept your definitions, for a start: so am I being an individualist or a communitarian in rejecting your take? As I see it, unity, cooperation and collective work and purpose are necessary for any human society: even the most ornery libertarian depends on others in multiple ways. Caring and love, forgiveness and adaptation to help others meet their needs, the skills of cooperative and interdependent living with other people and species — none of these require the obliteration of the individual, as you appear to fear, do they? Or am I reading you wrong?

1)Unity: we much all think and do the same thing: shut up and do as you’re told!
2)Self Determination: as a group, the leadership, and only the leadership has the right to determine the self
3)Collective Work & Responsibility: Collective, that means the group trumps the indvidual, and the group has the responsiblity. In order to keep the collective we must shut up do was we’re told.
4)Cooperative Economics: in order to cooperate properly, we must shut up and do as the leadership, who is far wiser than we, wishes, for the good of the collective.
5)Purpose, this is to quote the website: “To make as our collective vocation ” Collective! The leadership must give us purpose, thus we must shut up and do as we are told.
6)Creativity: Okay, you’ve got me,but one out of seven is indeed bad.
7)Faith: In what? “our parents, our teachers, our leaders” Ah, yes, our teachers and our leaders, never to be questioned! We mush shut up and do as we are told.

Six out of seven principles can be boiled down to one: “shut up and do as you’re told.”

Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner who gave the world a beautiful and useful document, The Declaration of Independence. The seven principles will be with us long after Karenga.

Thanks for the information.

Peace,
Valerie

“In 1971, Karenga, Louis Smith, and Luz Maria Tamayo were convicted of felony assault and false imprisonment for assaulting and torturing over a two day period two women from the US Organization, Deborah Jones and Gail Davis.[7] An article in the Los Angeles Times described the testimony of one of the women: “Deborah Jones, who once was given the title of an African queen, said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Miss Davis’ mouth and placed against Miss Davis’ face and that one of her own big toes was tightened in a vise. Karenga, head of US, also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said”.

The so-called seven principles, are basically variations of one single principle: “Shut up and do as you’re told.”

There has been much work done on the presence of Africans in the Bible, but the idea of an African Bible is very intriguing.

Peace,
Valerie

Happy Kwanzaa to all who observe it and best wishes in getting the principle more widely spread for all of society.

Unfortunately, one reality that we must face in every aspect of life is that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe. Hence, we must make responding a central focus in all of our activities, so I hope Kwanzaa and all holidays and occasions will consider this, lest we face a very difficult future that will dampen this and all other holidays.