Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of family and culture in the African American and pan-African communities.
Kwanzaa was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Black Studies at California State University Long Beach, in 1966 as part of the Black Freedom movement. The holiday combines elements of several African harvest celebrations. The name Kwanzaa means “first fruits” in Swahili, which is the most widely spoken language in Africa. Families gather for seven nights to light candles on a special holder called a kinara. They may then sing songs, tell stories, enjoy a special meal, and discuss one of the seven principles: Unity, Self-determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
Today, we’ve chosen three books written by Black authors about queer life in Africa and the African-diaspora.
