28 Dec How to Apply Kwanzaa Principles to Community Conversations 2024: Ujima!
NGUZO SABA:7 Kwanzaa Principles
Umoja – Unity
Kujichagulia – Self-determination
Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility
Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics
Nia – Purpose
Kuumba – Creativity
Imani – Faith
Video by Askar Abayev on pexels.com
Kwanzaa derives its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.”
Op-Ed on The Grio Dec 26, 2023
The Hidden Potential of Kwanzaa Principles: Collective Work and Responsibility
I learned the principle of collective work and responsibility as a teen. (Though at the time I didn’t know that’s what I was learning!) I grew up Pittsburgh PA in the era of Manpower and summer jobs for teens when they turned 14. My first job was cleaning our junior high school in preparation for the upcoming new school year. My other jobs included working on the Homestead borough to clean the park known as Little Frick Park; working as a playground assistant; and working to provide support to senior citizens in their homes. Summer jobs reflected positions that collectively supported the community coupled with the experience of learning what it meant to have job responsibility. None of these were career moves but I learned the value of collective work and responsibility way back in the 70s.
Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima) is to build and maintain our community together and to make our brothers' and sisters' problems our own as we solve them together.
This principle links to creating equity by working together to solve problems and improve conditions for everyone. It’s a mindset where the well-being of each member is linked to the well-being of the community as a whole. By working together, communities can achieve goals that might be unattainable individually and foster a sense of empowerment and accomplishment. Ujima, as a principle, serves as a reminder of the strength that lies in collective effort and shared responsibility. It highlights the importance of working together for the common good, not just in overcoming challenges but also in celebrating successes as a community. When Ujima is activated, communities work toward a common good and share each other’s burdens. In the spirit of Ujima, all community members are seen as valuable contributors to collective well-being while reinforcing the common bonds that unite us. It breathes power into the African proverb, it takes a village to raise a child
"Kwanzaa offers a new dialogue on Black culture, about our positive contributions to the world, and not just the negative stigma of race." — Dr. Adam Clark
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