Kwanzaa: Day 5 (Nia)

Hello history lovers and welcome to rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it.

 

Habari gani, I’m Robin the host and in-house historian at rememberinghistory.com and I’m so glad that you’ve come back for this great and groundbreaking show. We’ve been doing something a bit different from our usual podcast show when we talk about different issues affecting the African American community, and discuss the great contributions of African Americans to their communities, the country and world. Today is a very special day because we are continuing with our celebration of Kwanzaa! We are already on day five of this uplifting and inspirational celebration. Today we will focus on the concept of Nia which means purpose.

 

I’ll begin by bidding you the traditional greeting of Kwanzaa in the Swahili language: Habari gani! If you’re just joining us, you’re very glad to have you with us and I would strongly urge you to listen to the 5 previous podcasts: the introduction to Kwanzaa podcast, the first day of Kwanzaa podcast (called umoja or unity), and the second day of Kwanzaa podcast (called kujichagulia or self-determination), day 3 of the Kwanzaa podcast which is called Ujima and yesterday, we did day four of Kwanzaa, which is called Ujamaa.

 

We learned yesterday that cooperative economics of Ujamaa) is a commitment to shared social wealth and working not only to help people that are disadvantaged or impoverished, but actually ending poverty itself. We learned that Julius Nyerere (who was the first president of Tanzania) was a strong advocate of Ujamaa or African socialism for his people and he was much beloved by them. Remember they called him Mwalimu, which is a name for a beloved and respected teacher. And you might remember that Dr. Martin Luther King fought against poverty and materialism, which he said created a sick society. He was a true radical. If you haven’t heard the previous Kwanzaa podcasts, I strongly recommend that you do so. If you have any questions, please contact us at rememberinghistory.com website or the Wiki History Podcast page on Facebook. Stay with us today—everyone is welcome around the Kwanzaa mat (the mkeka)—but please take time to listen to the previous shows.

 

Let’s prepare ourselves to begin to Kwanzaa celebration for the fifth day. Sometimes I take a deep cleansing breath before the celebration begins but I always find some way to quiet and focus myself. Perhaps you want to stand and do a few stretching movements. Just take a moment to get centered and ready to begin the celebration. Remember Kwanzaa IS a celebration but please also show respect for this solemn ritual.

 

Day 4: Nia (Purpose)

 

Habari gani! Your response: Nia!

 

Let’s do it again: Habari gani! Nia!

 

Now please give me the Swahili greeting. (pause) Nia!

 

The fifth day of Kwanzaa is Nia! It means purpose. That’s a rather vague concept so let’s ask what does purpose mean in the context of Kwanzaa?

 

Dr. Karenga thought of Nia as building our communities together, maintaining them, and restoring them to greatness.

 

Nia is essentially a commitment to the collective vocation of building, developing and defending our national community, its culture and history in order to regain our historical initiative and greatness as a people. This requires an understanding that our role in human history has been and remains a significant one and that we, as an African people share in the grand human legacy that Africa has given to the world. We have the legacy of not only being the fathers and mothers of humanity but also the fathers and mothers of human civilization. It’s unacceptable that we who are the fathers and mothers of human civilization have been playing the role of cultural children of the world. The principle of Nia brings awareness to our purpse in light of our historical and cultural identity.

 

Inherent in this discussion of deriving purpose from our historical and cultural identity is the focus on generational responsibility. Franz Fanon (remember him from our discussion of self-determination/kujichagulia) poses this responsibility in competing terms by saying “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission and then fulfill or betray it.

He suggests that this “mission” should be framed within the larger context of the needs, hopes and aspirations of the people. He goes further to state that each of us is morally and culturally obligated to participate in creating a context of maximum freedom and development of the people.

 

Finally, Nia suggests that personal and social purpose do not conflict but rather complement each other. The highest form of personal purpose is, in the final analysis, a social purpose. And a social purpose is a personal purpose that translates into a vocation and commitment which involves and benefits the collective whole AND gives fullness and mean to a person’s life in a way that individualistic and isolated pursuits cannot.

 

According to the Nia concept, true greatness and growth can never occur in isolation or at another’s expense. African philosophy teaches that we are first and foremost social beings who reality and relevance are root in the quality and kinds of relationships that we have with others. WEB Dubois (a scholar who wrote the Souls of Black Folk) stressed education of social contribution and rejected vulgar careerism rooted in the sole pursuit of money. This reiterates that purpose is not to simply create money markers but to cultivate men and women capable of social and human exchange on a larger and more meaningful scale, men and women of culture and social conscience, men and women of vision and values that expand the human project of freedom and development rather than diminish it.

 

Wow, there is a lot of relevance and reflection for African Americans! Understanding our purpose from the perspective of a historical and cultural identity requires us to KNOW our historical and cultural identity. Yet this has been denied to us since the day that we were brought to the United States. African history is not taught in elementary or high school. It is available at the college level but, by that time, African American children have already learned many myths about the continent. These myths make African American children embarrassed or ashamed of their African roots. And this disinformation is difficult to override after it is learned.

 

 

 

 

So, the African American community is challenged with teaching African history, its greatness and glory and its cultural traditions to the next generation. Because with the historical and cultural identity, finding and pursuing one’s true and higher purpose is difficult and confusing.

 

It is important to pursue the highest and loftiest purpose that uplifts and develops the community and world. And this need not conflict with one’s personal (or career) goals. However, this can conflict with western philosophy that focuses on the materialistic and “me-first” goals of the individual over the development of the community. Yet this philosophy remains deeply present in the African American community though it is often disparaged. But, when considered with the other communitarian principles of Kwanzaa, it shows that our fates are connected. When one African is suffering, all Africans are suffering. And when any African American is suffering, all African Americans are suffering. African Americans have shown their understanding in this principle through their courage and efforts during the slavery period, the struggle for civil rights and the Black empowerment—political and economic--movements.  But the development of a purpose that is a true expression of one is based on knowing one’s historical and cultural identity. And African Americans are learning and teaching this as never before in our history. On that high note, let’s move to the next part of the Kwanzaa celebration of Nia.

 

But quickly let me just mention that I strongly encourage everyone to read Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth and The Souls of Black Folk by WEB Dubois. These are books to read again and again and keep in your library. Then pass them on to your children.

 

Now, let’s light another green candle.

 

We will light a lot of candles today so let me just say the order:

 

1. Black candle (in the middle) is lit first.
2. Then the Red candle to the far left is lit
3. Next the Green candle to the far right is lit
4. Then the red candle farthest to the left is lit.
5. Then (today) another green candle farthest to the right is lit. (pause)

 

Take a moment to enjoy the beautiful lit candleholder (the kinara).

 

Not let’s read a story about the concept of Nia.

 

The Name of the Tree 

Once there was a terrible drought in the land of the animals. A kindly king came from over the mountain and planted a special tree. He told them that this tree would bear fruit all year round in any kind of weather. All they had to do to get the fruit was to speak its name. The name of the tree was Oowungalema.

The animals thanked the kind old king and he returned to his own land, which was far over the mountain. The animals then sounded the Great Drum to call everyone for miles around.

When all were gathered at the tree, the lion asked Anansi to speak the name of the tree.

"I thought you were going to remember the name!" said Anansi.

"I don't remember the name!" said the lion, "Someone must know it!"

They asked everyone who had been there when the old king planted the tree, but not one of them could remember the name of the tree. They decided to send someone to ask the king for the name. They were all very hungry, so they decided to send someone fast. They sent the hare.

The hare ran as fast as he could through villages, across the river, through the bush, over the mountain and straight to the court of the kindly old king. The king told him, "The name of the tree is Oowungalema."

The hare ran back, repeating the name to himself as he went along. On the way home, he stopped at the river to rest and take a drink. The water was nice and cool. It felt good after all that running. The hare splashed around for a while to cool himself off, then he got out of the water and started back to the tree.

When he got back, the animals all cheered. "Now we can have the fruit! " they shouted.

Hare went up to the tree to speak the name, "Oomagamoomoo, no, oobapadoopa, Noomooogamooga"

Try as he might, the hare just couldn't remember the name.

"We have to send someone else." Lion said at last.

So the springbok was sent. She ran all the way to the king over the mountain and tried to keep the name in her head all the way home, but coming through the forest, she tripped over a root and bumped her head. The name was lost again.

Next they sent Leopard, but on the way back he started chasing a monkey who was teasing him. He forgot the name as well.

Many others tried and failed until finally, the tortoise asked if she might go. Most of the animals laughed because the tortoise is so slow.

"Give her a chance!" Anansi said, "She may succeed where the rest of us have failed."

The tortoise went to her mother and asked, "What do you do if you must remember something very important?"

Her mother told her to keep repeating it no matter what happens. So the tortoise set out on her journey. When she reached the king over the mountain, he said, "The name of the tree is Oowungalema."

Tortoise kept repeating it over and over to herself all the way home. When the monkeys teased her in the forest, she only said, " Oowungalema."

When she passed by the river and the sound of the water made her thirsty, she looked at the water and said, "Oowungalema."

And when she got near her house and her children came running to her, she only said, "Oowungalema."

Finally, the tortoise came to the tree. All the other animals were anxiously waiting. The lion spoke, "Tortoise, please speak the name of the tree."

Tortoise said, "Oowungalema."

At last, the animals were able to eat the fruit. Everyone was grateful to the tortoise who kept to her purpose where every one else had failed. The end.

If you like, you can discuss this story and what it meant to you. No pressure or demands. This is a time of sharing for those who wish to share. And a time of listening for those who prefer to listen.

Now let’s fill and pass the unity cup (kikomba cha umoja). Everyone take a sip.

Pause and reflect on the concept of Nia (or purpose) and what you feel is your TRUE purpose in life. Try to think of it as something that is bigger than just you, something that can move and uplift humanity.

Then blow out the candles. (pause) This concludes Day 5 of the Kwanzaa celebration.

Again I want to thank Eshu Bumpus for providing this story about collective work and responsibility. This story was written by Eshu who is an accomplished storyteller and expert on Kwanzaa. Eshu has a website called www.folktales.net.

Thank you for participating in Day 5 of Kwanzaa with us. Remember to visit us on our Facebook page called Wiki History if you need more information or want to share your Kwanzaa experiences with us.

We hope to see you tomorrow at rememberinghistory.com where we are remembering history and we’re making it. Kwanzaa yenu iwe na heri. (Kwanzaa YEH-Noo ee-wah nah heh-REE). Happy Kwanzaa!