Karamu (feast)

Karamu: in general, a west African word meaning feast. A Karamu Ya Imani (Feast of Feasts) is a feast that takes place on December 31, the sixth day of the Kwanzaa period. A Kwanzaa ceremony may include drumming and musical selections, libations, a reading of the African Pledge and the Principles of Blackness, reflection on the Pan-African colors, a discussion of the African principle of the day or a chapter in African history, a candle-lighting ritual, artistic performance, and, finally, a feast, a Karamu.

The Karamu feast was developed in Chicago during a 1971 citywide movement of Pan-African organizations. It was proposed by Hannibal Afrik of Shule ya Matoto as a communitywide promotonial and educational campaign. The initial Karamu Ya Imani occurred on January 1, 1973 at a 200-person gathering at the Ridgeland club.^[1]

In 1992, the National Black United Front of Chicago held one of the largest Karamu Ya Imani celebrations in the country. It included dancing, a youth ensemble and a keynote speech by NBUF and prominent black nationalist leader Conrad Worrill.^[2]

Celebration

• Lauren Gorine (fiestentak)
• Kukaribisha (Welcoming)
• Kuumba (Remembering)
• Kuchunguza Tena Na Kutoa Ahadi Tena (Reassessment and Recommitment)
• Kushangilla (Rejoicing)
• Tamshi la Tambiko (Libation Statement)
• Tamshi la Tutaonana (The Farewell Statement)

References

• Medearis, Angela Shelf (1994), The Seven Days of Kwanzaa, Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN 0-590-46360-8
• Seton, Susannah (2000), Simple Pleasures for the Holidays, Conari, ISBN 1-57324-515-1
• Brady, April A. (2000), Kwanzaa Karamu, Lerner Publishing Group, ISBN 0-87614-842-9
• Karenga, Maulana (1998), Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, University of Sankore Press, ISBN 0-943412-21-8
• Marsh, Carole (2003), Kwanzaa: Activities, Crafts, Recipes, and More!, Gallopade International, ISBN 0-635-02173-0
• Anganza, Maitefa (2007), Kwanzaa: from Holiday to Every Day, Kensington Publishing Corporation, ISBN 0-7582-1665-3
• Gamble-Gumbs, Ida (1998), How to Plan a Kwanzaa Celebration, Cultural Expressions, Inc., ISBN 0-9629827-1-7
• Hintz, Martin (1996), Kwanzaa: Why We Celebrate It the Way We Do, Capstone Press, ISBN 1-56065-329-9
• Asante, Molefi K.; Mazama, Ama (2005), Encyclopedia of Black Studies, SAGE, ISBN 0-7619-2762-X

Footnotes

1. Mayes, Keith (2006). Peniel Joseph, ed. The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 244–245. ISBN 978-0-415-94596-7.
2. McFarland, Melanie (December 25, 1992). "Kwanzaa Is A Time Of Reflection - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 December 2011.