Purdue News

October 2, 1998 Creator of Kwanzaa to speak at Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Known to many as "Father Kwanzaa," activist/scholar Maulana Karenga will lecture on the cultural holiday he created for African-Americans when he visits the Purdue University campus as part of the Black Cultural Center's 1998 Cultural Arts Series. Karenga's free talk, entitled "The Principles of Kwanzaa: Embracing the Good and Pursuing the Possible," is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in Room 206, Stewart Center. During the Black Liberation Movement of the '60s, Karenga founded the first African-American cultural holiday Kwanzaa. The holiday is derived from the harvest festivals celebrated by many tribal cultures of Africa. Kwanzaa celebrates the goodness in life and encourages African-Americans to realize their roots in the African culture, understand their present life in America, and prepare for the future. Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, and is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Karenga was a member of the executive council of the Million Man March. He is a professor and chairman of the Department of African Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Karenga also has written numerous scholarly articles and books including: "Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture," "Kawaida Theory: A Communitarian African Philosophy," and "Selections from Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt." Karenga is director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies and he is the national chairman of Us, an organization dedicated to cultural and social change. CONTACT: Renee Thomas, director, Black Cultural Center, (765) 494-3091; e-mail: rathomas@hfs.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page