Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of African heritage, pride, and strength! It runs from December 26 to January 1. Each day focuses on one of the Seven Principles, known as Nguzo Saba.
To connect more deeply with Kwanzaa, we’ve gathered some of the best quotes that capture the beauty of these principles. But first, let’s learn a little more about Kwanzaa.
The Origins of Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga. He aimed to bring African Americans together by reconnecting them with their roots.
The word “Kwanzaa” comes from Swahili and means “first fruits.” It’s a time when people come together to celebrate their hard work during the harvest season.
At the heart of Kwanzaa are the Seven Principles, or Nguzo Saba. Each principle represents an important value that empowers both individuals and the community as a whole.
Best Kwanzaa Quotes to Celebrate the Seven Principles
Day 1: Umoja (Unity)
Umoja, the first principle of Kwanzaa, emphasizes the importance of unity in family, community, nation, and race.
Famous Umoja Quotes
“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“I am because we are.” – African proverb
“The unity of a nation is the most important thing.” – Haile Selassie
“Unity is strength, division is weakness.” – Swahili proverb
“We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.” – Woodrow Wilson
“Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” — Mattie Stepanek
“Together we can achieve more than we ever could alone.” – Anonymous
“In diversity, there is beauty and strength.” – Maya Angelou
“We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” – Gwendolyn Brooks
Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Kujichagulia encourages us to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.
Inspirational Kujichagulia Quotes
“If you know the beginning well, the end will not trouble you.” – African proverb
“Define yourself for yourself and then do what’s right for you.” – Iyanla Vanzant
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“If you don’t know yourself, you don’t know your nature. If you don’t know your nature, you don’t know where to exist.” – Marcus Garvey
“The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” – Hasidic proverb
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali
“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” — Ferdinand Foch
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.” — Zoey Sayward
“You are the designer of your own destiny; own it with pride.” — Anonymous
Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Ujima reminds us of our collective responsibility to build and maintain our community together.
Powerful Ujima Quotes
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” — Henry Ford
“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.” – Kenyan proverb
“I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.” – Desmond Tutu
“It takes a village to raise a child.” – African proverb
“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa
“We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
Day 4: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Ujamaa focuses on building and maintaining our own stores, shops, and other businesses. It ensures economic independence and growth within the community.
Insightful Ujamaa Quotes
“Economic freedom is the foundation for all other freedoms.” – Walter E. Williams
“Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options.” – Chris Rock
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker
“Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Economic growth without investment in human development is unsustainable – and unethical.” – Amartya Sen
“The ultimate resource in economic development is people. It is people, not capital or raw materials that develop an economy.” – Peter Drucker
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The goal of economic growth should be to improve people’s lives.” – Joseph Stiglitz
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” — Coretta Scott King
“Financial independence is not a dream, it’s a goal—let’s achieve it together.” — Anonymous
Day 5: Nia (Purpose)
Nia calls for developing and maintaining a sense of purpose. This principle encourages individuals to build their community and leave a positive legacy.
Motivational Nia Quotes
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
“Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.” – Ryan Blair
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” – Thomas Carlyle
“Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.” – Washington Irving
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso
“A life without purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” — Thomas Carlyle
“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” — Robert F. Kennedy
Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity)
Kuumba is the celebration of creativity. It encourages us to do always as much as we can, to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Inspiring Kuumba Quotes
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
“The creative adult is the child who survived.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” – Albert Einstein
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou
“To be creative means to be in love with life.” – Osho
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” – Pablo Picasso
“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” — Albert Einstein
“There’s no limit to creativity; it’s what makes life vibrant and full of possibilities.” — Anonymous
Day 7: Imani (Faith)
Imani is the final principle. It encourages us to believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, and our leaders. It reminds us to trust in the rightness of our struggle and the victories we can achieve together.
Uplifting Imani Quotes
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“When you have faith in yourself, you have the first secret of success.” – African proverb
“Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” – Rabindranath Tagore
“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax and float.” – Alan Watts
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication.” – Gail Devers
“Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.” – D. Elton Trueblood
“With faith, anything is possible.” — Anonymous
“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” — Helen Keller
“Faith is the art of holding on to things in spite of your changing moods and circumstances.” — C.S. Lewis
“Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” — George Seaton
FAQs
What is a special saying on Kwanzaa?
A common saying during Kwanzaa is “Habari Gani?”. It means “What’s the news?” in Swahili. This greeting is used to start discussions about the principle of the day.
What is the motto of Kwanzaa?
The motto of Kwanzaa is “Umoja,” which means “Unity” in Swahili. Unity is the first principle. It highlights the importance of togetherness in families, communities, and the nation.
What is the message of Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa’s message is all about strengthening African American culture. It celebrates the Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) that encourage unity, self-determination, collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
What is the symbol of Kwanzaa?
One key symbol of Kwanzaa is the Kinara. It’s a candleholder with seven candles, each representing one of the Seven Principles. Black represents the people, red symbolizes the struggle, and green signifies the future and hope.
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