IMANI!

January 1

Imani (Faith): to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle

Faith: we all have faith in something, whether we like to admit it or not: something religious/spiritual or not, in someone else, blind or questioned, or maybe in ourselves. According to Hebrews 11, "Faith is the substance of things HOPED FOR, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN!" Invested in the right thing, faith can produce strong and beautiful spirits. In unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose and creativity, the element that ties it all together is faith. Yes, unity is great, but, how far can any group go if there is no faith amongst the collective? How can one be creative in uniting a community or starting a business if there is no faith in one's self or a vision?

For whatever reason, I believe in my community. Maybe it's because I've had a pretty good community to help raise me and shape my views of the world. It's made me want to better it and myself. That want and how I see it playing out may change from time to time, but one thing hasn't: the desire to see it prosper in unity and love. I have faith that older buildings in neighborhoods can become businesses and homes for people. How that will work, I'm not altogether sure, but the beauty of it is being as creative as possible, using what I am good at.

I am grateful for this seven-day journey that essentially sets the tone for the rest of the year. May everyday of the week be a repeat of Kwanzaa! That will be my faith, purpose, and creativity for the rest of the year.

May your life's journey open closed doors for you, and may love and peace be the driving force behind your hopes and dreams and desires.

(December 31: Kuumba (Creativity): "to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it." Sometimes you have to think outside of the box to get the results and change you want.)

(December 30: Nia (Purpose): "to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness." Finding what we are good at and using it to better ourselves and others, empowering and emboldening us to be better.)

(December 29: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): "to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together." - shop amongst ourselves, grow ourselves.)

(December 28: Ujima (collective work and responsibility): to build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together) - "I am my brother's/sister's keeper." "Each one, teach one."

(December 27: Kujichagulia (self-determination): to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves) - Let's come together and define who we are, what we answer to, and speak out against things that are against growing us as a people.

(December 26: Umoja (unity): to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race) - We are a nation, a people strong and regal! Let us come together in love and purpose!

One love.
Power to (our) people.

Habari gani?

*NOTE* Principles definitions taken from The Official Kwanzaa Website,
http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/index.shtml
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