Blog by the Black History 365 AC Library Employee Resource Group
What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an annual holiday celebrated by African Americans as well as people of the global African diaspora. It’s a joyful seven-day celebration of Black culture, food, and unity. To celebrate Kwanzaa, people gather to practice shared values and pass cultural traditions down to younger generations.
Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 as a non-religious holiday for African Americans to honor their African roots and feel pride in their history. The phrase matunda ya kwanza means ‘first fruits’ in Kiswahili and refers to the first crops of the harvest. This holiday is modeled after the harvest celebrations that take place all over the African continent.
Everyone can celebrate Kwanzaa! The whole community can come together to enjoy storytelling, dancing, music, and the Karamu feast. It’s a time to learn about and participate in Black cultural traditions.
For more information about Kwanzaa: National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Nguzo Saba - 7
The seven days of Kwanzaa start on December 26 and end on January 1. Each day focuses on one of the seven principles or Nguzo Saba.
Day 1: Umoja-Unity - Strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and culture.
Day 2: Kujichagulia-Self-Determination - Define ourselves, name ourselves, and speak for ourselves, instead of being defined and spoken for by others.
Day 3: Ujima-Collective Work and Responsibility - Build and maintain our community and solve problems together.
Day 4: Ujamaa-Cooperative Economics – Build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses to profit from them together.
Day 5: Nia-Purpose - Our collective vocation to develop our community to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Day 6: Kuumba-Creativity - Do all we can to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than how we inherited it.
Day 7: Imani-Faith - Believe with all our heart in our family, our teachers, our leaders, our people, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
In celebrating Kwanzaa, consider some ways that you can practice the Nguzo Saba throughout the year!
Ways to Celebrate with AC Library!
In celebration of Kwanzaa, check out these featured events for children and families:
- Winter Around the World, at Dublin Library on Saturday, December 13, 2-4 pm.
- Kwanzaa Storytime at Newark Library featuring author Robert Liu-Trujillo on Tuesday, December 16, 4-5 pm.
- Let’s Celebrate Kwanzaa! at San Lorenzo Library on Tuesday, December 30, 12-2:30 pm.
Community Events
- Fayeth Gardens 3rd Annual Kwanzaa Celebration at Hayward City Hall on Sunday, December 28, 12-5 pm.
- Bay Area Association of Black Social Workers celebrates Kwanzaa at West Oakland Library on Saturday, December 27, 1-4 pm.
- 2025 Annual Kwanzaa Celebration at East Bay Church in Oakland on Saturday, December 27, 4-7 pm.
- Winter Wonderland Kwanzaa & Noon Year's Eve at The Chase Center on Wednesday, December 31.
eResources to Help You Learn about African American History and Culture
- Black Freedom Struggle Collection: Diversity & Ethnic Studies eBooks: This subscription collection includes academic eBooks related to diversity, anti-racism, ethnic studies, disability studies, gerontology and age studies, migration studies, gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, and religious studies.
- Black Life in America: The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today.
- Discover & Go: Discover & Go provides instant online access to free and low-cost tickets to museums, science centers, zoos, theatres, and other fun local cultural venues. This includes free entry to the Oakland Museum of California to visit the exhibition, Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain.
- Diversity & Ethnic Studies eBooks: This subscription collection includes academic eBooks related to diversity, anti-racism, ethnic studies, disability studies, gerontology and age studies, migration studies, gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, and religious studies.
- Ebony Magazine Archive: Ebony is one of the key African American magazines of the 20th century, covering 20th and 21st-century current events, art, design, politics and culture, literature, advertising, and more. Search for Kwanzaa to see a variety of articles.
- Ethnic Diversity Source: With its curated full-text materials, Ethnic Diversity Source is essential to support the study of African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinx Americans, Multiracial Americans, and Native Americans, among others, with respect to their cultures, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences.
Booklists
Kwanzaa is an annual African American celebration based on African harvest festival traditions. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 through January 1. These books teach about the history of Kwanzaa, symbols, crafts, foods, and the Nguzo Saba (the seven principles) celebrated each day.
Children's books about African American family celebrations and stories with themes related to the Kwanzaa principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
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