December 28, 2016

Kwanzaa: Ujima ('Collective Work and Responsibility')


Habari Gani? Ujima!
Day 3, December 28

To come together to build and maintain our communities.

None of us walks alone. Especially in the Black community. We need to realize that we stand on the shoulders of others. Celebrating the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Ujima', gives us a chance to reflect on those that helped us reach our current platform. We can pay homage to our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, mentors, colleagues or others that came into our lives. Nubians in America should also lift up in praise those African Americans that came ... some were lost ... so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today.

In other words villagers ... let's be proud of our accomplishments. We earned the right to be proud. However, let's also remember that our accomplishments may never have happened without the help of others struggling before us. Now, we must pay it forward. We must reach back, down or across to others to help them on their journey.

Those are my thoughts about Ujima. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when the Ujima comes to mind?

Harambee!

2 comments:

Carolyn Moon said...

This concept is so needed now for classism has contributed significantly to a rift in our communities between the haves and have nots. We run away rather than staying and taking back those enclaves that have been taken over by hostile forces.

It's an awesome task but one we must begin to tackle for we are losing so many of our young folks to the prison and mental health systems. Our elderly folks are hostages in their own communities.

We must start utililzing our talents again as caretakers of the village. It's imperative...we are in a crisis mode ya'll!

Unknown said...

Carolyn - I appreciate your insights and comments re: Ujima. I also appreciate your continued support of the efforts of this blog! Harambee!