Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Ujima - Collective work and responsibility




Heri za Kwanzaa!

Kwanzaa is a time for spiritual reflection, a festive and joyous holiday...a cultural celebration. Kwanzaa has no ties to a particular religion. It is practiced by African people of all faiths, who come together based on their rich, ancient and varied common African heritage. Today, the seven-day observance of the Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated by millions of African-Americans and Africans around the world.


Habari gani?  Ujima 

(Collective work and responsibility)


"To build and maintain our community together and to make our brother's and sister's problems, our problems and to solve them together."

Ujima, as principle and practice, means that we accept the fact that we are collectively responsible for our failures and setbacks as well as our victories and achievements. And this holds true not only on the national level, but also on the level of family and organization or smaller units. Such a commitment implies and encourages a vigorous capacity for self-criticism and self-correction which is indispensable to our strength, defense and development as a people.

SOURCE: "The African American Holiday of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family Community & Culture"
by Maulana Karenga, University of Sankore Press, Los Angeles, California, 1988, ISBN 0-943412-09-9




Debi Mason, Teller
Oby House Projects - Spoken Word Ministries
Storyin' With Auntie D - National Association of Black Storytellers
www.facebook.com/obyhousetellers
@DebiOak
Debi Mason, author
Arizona Clay available via Amazon.com
What I Thought Was So Just Ain't - Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Kujichagulia - Self Determination




Heri za Kwanzaa!

Kwanzaa is a time for spiritual reflection, a festive and joyous holiday...a cultural celebration. Kwanzaa has no ties to a particular religion. It is practiced by African people of all faiths, who come together based on their rich, ancient and varied common African heritage. Today, the seven-day observance of the Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated by millions of African-Americans and Africans around the world.





Habari gani?  Kujichagulia (Self Determination)

The principle of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) reaffirms the right and responsibility of every people to control their destiny and daily lives and to be respected as a unique and equally valid and valuable way of being human in the world. -- DR. MAULANA KARENGA  Telling our own  stories as only we can tell them.  Ashe.



Debi Mason, Teller
Oby House Projects - Spoken Word Ministries
Storyin' With Auntie D - National Association of Black Storytellers
National Storytelling Network
www.facebook.com/obyhousetellers
@DebiOak
Debi Mason, author
Arizona Clay available via Amazon.com
What I Thought Was So Just Ain't - Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble


 

Monday, December 26, 2016

Kwanzaa - a time for reflection





Heri za Kwanzaa!
Kwanzaa is a time for spiritual reflection, a festive and joyous holiday...a cultural celebration. Kwanzaa has no ties to a particular religion. It is practiced by African people of all faiths, who come together based on their rich, ancient and varied common African heritage. Today, the seven-day observance of the Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated by millions of African-Americans and Africans around the world.






Habari gani?  UMOJA! (Unity)


At this time of racial turmoil, confusion, police brutality and the war on black males in this country it is important that any discussion of race begin with us.  Our young, gifted and black children need to know the truth of who they are more than ever. They need to know their true history and share in the stories of our  black experience as told in a way that only we can tell it. Youth must be taught, and perhaps many of us need to relearn,  what it means to participate in the betterment of our communities.  The positive messages of today are taught through example in our homes, in our schools, in our places of worship and, importantly, in the media. Foolishness begets foolishness.  Pride begets pride.


So I will continue to celebrate Kwanzaa in my home and in any public forum available to me. I will continue to seek and strive for unity within my family, in my community including my church, in the nation and in my race.
UMOJA!
“At its core, the principle unity is about attachment - attachment to each other and, most importantly, to the values which define us as family, as community and as a people.” – The   Kwanzaa Guide http://bit.ly/1CXpct3




Debi Mason, Teller
Oby House Projects - Oby House Tellers
Storyin' With Auntie D - National Association of Black Storytellers
National Storytelling Network
www.facebook.com/obyhousetellers
@DebiOak
Debi Mason, author
Arizona Clay available via Amazon.com
What I Thought Was So Just Ain't - Available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble