When I first learned of Kwanzaa it was at my former church in Los Angeles. As my pastor presented the principles and concept of the week long celebration, I became engrossed with it. Why was it that I had missed out on this fabulous opportunity to be a part of building community and cultural roots?

Every year we as a family discuss Kwanzaa and what is means to our family and the African American race. I can’t ignore where I come from or who I am so I as a mother teach my children to embrace it as well. For I am not ashamed of the color of my skin, my roots, and the struggle that we have and continue to endure.

By sharing the principles of Kwanzaa I am teaching my chidren that importance of believing in yourself and your community.  I am proud to say that my boys are confident, self-reliant, and able to recognize the wrongs the dwell therein and that come from the outside of our community trying to destroy it.

Each day that I share a part of Kwanzaa with them, I will share it here as well. You do not have to be African American to appreciate the principles because they are really universal. In many ways what you will read and learn can be applied in various instances in our lives.

All of the principles can be applied to your life in some way.

As each principle is shared a standars greeting is given first. That greeting is…

Habari Gani means “What’s the news?”

It is followed by the principle of the day.

Here is principle 1:

Umoja  is the first principle of Kwanzaa and it means “unity”. The principle teaches about striving for and maintaining unity in family, community, nation, and race.

So to those reading this post I say to you to go out and be a part of your community and others. Involve yourself with making sure that you teach your children the truth about race relations so that we can learn to live together in harmony. If you are African American do not teach your children to fear or hate and the same goes for you my borther or sister from another race…don’t spread hate. If you don’t get it…ask!!

One thing I will do as a child of God is share a scripture with my boys that can be integrated into the principle of the day.

Today’s scripture is John 17: 20 -26

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Just as the first principle of Kwanzaa is centered on unity so is the Christian walk. We must be unified in order to win this battle. If we fight among ourselves, decide to be conservative or liberal without first seeking God, or do things to that go against God’s word then we are not unified. However if we seek to understand, stay prayerful and seek first the Kingdom of God then we can begin live as the true community of Worshipers that God seeks.

So to you I say Habari Gani? and you say…