One-on-One with Dr. Maulana Karenga, the Man and Mind Behind Kwanzaa

For almost 64 years, Dr. Maulana Karenga has played a significant role in shaping Black history and culture in America and beyond. During the turbulent “Black Power” era of the 1960s, the fiery advocate aggressively fought to push platforms focused on achieving social and political advancements, human rights, and self-determination amid a cultural revolution for Black people and the African Diaspora. One of Karenga’s signature contributions to the African diaspora has been the creation of Kwanzaa in 1966. The annual Pan-African holiday, based on the ancient harvest celebrations of Africa, or “first-fruits celebration,” has been held annually from Dec. 26 – Jan. 1 since its inception. Kwanzaa is now celebrated on every continent by more than 30 million people in the world’s African communities. “I created Kwanzaa in the midst of the Black liberation movement of the ‘60s and on the heal of the Watts Revolt in Los Angeles,” Karenga told this writer in an exclusive interview years ago in Los Angeles. “The holiday was designed to speak to our constant quest to be rooted in our own culture. It allows us to speak our own special cultural truth in a multicultural world, practice values, and share a vision that...