Kwanzaa Celebration

Celebrating Kwanzaa at CPP

Created in 1966 by Ron Maulana Karenga, professor and chair of African Studies at CSU Long Beach in response to the 1965 Watts Rebellion and as an alternative to commercialism. Gift giving is primarily for children. Educational items, books, and heritage symbols are often given.

Kwanzaa comes from 'kwanza,' a Swahili word meaning 'first,' and is used in the phrase 'mutunda ya kwanza,' which means 'first fruits or harvest.'