294



K

Karenga, Maulana (Ron N. Everett)
(1941– )
Born on July 14, 1941, in Parsonsburg, Maryland,
the son of a Baptist minister, the activist, scholar,
educator, and creator of the “Seven Principles of
Blackness,” Maulana Karenga received his B.A.
degree from City College of Los Angeles. He con-
tinued his education at the United States Interna-
tional University and at the University of Southern
California, where he earned two doctoral degrees,
in political science and social ethics. During the
early 1960s, at the height of the CIVIL RIGHTS MOVE-
MENT, Karenga met MALCOLM X, with whom he de-
bated and discussed the value of BLACK POWER and
imperatives of social change.
In 1965 Karenga, who would later add the title
“maulana” to his name, which in Swahili means
“master teacher,” founded Us (for “just us black
folks”), through which he promoted cultural na-
tionalism and separatism. Following a dispute
with members of the Black Panther Party, which
resulted in the death of two students at the Uni-
versity of California, Los Angeles, and charged on
two counts of felonious assault and one count of
wrongful imprisonment, Karenga was sentenced
to the California State Prison system for 10 years.
Upon his release he restructured and reestablished
his organization—now called US, United Slaves
Organization (US Organization)—and formu-

lated a new philosophy, Kawaida, which in Swahili

means reason and tradition. He founded a Pan-

African holiday, Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday of

seven days of observation, and his doctrine of

Nguzu Saba, the “Seven Principles of Blackness,” to

guide Kwanzaa celebration, which takes place from

December 26 to January 1 after Christmas.

Kwanzaa was first celebrated in California in

1967. Each day coincides with one of the principles
      of Nguzo Saba, which formulate the fundamental
      values of Kwanzaa. These principles are


1968. Umoja, meaning unity: the principle of
      unity of family, community, nation, and the
      Pan-African world.


1969. Kujichagulia, meaning self-determination;
      espouses self-definition, self-defense, the
      creation of self, and speaking for oneself.


1970. Ujima, meaning collective work and re-
      sponsibility: the commitment to active and
      informed collectivity on common issues
      and interests.


1971. Ujamaa, meaning cooperative econom-
      ics: the principle of shared resources and
      shared wealth.


1972. Nia, meaning purpose: the principle of a
      collective vocation of building, defend-
      ing, and developing the black national
      community.