The first fruits: the gifts of Kwanzaa need not be material ones, but they must be chosen with purpose.

For Kwanzaa 2003, which begins December 26, Black Issues Book Review asked an expert on African American traditional observances to select especially for our readers--seven gifts, one for each principle of the celebration that need not be store-bought goods. He has chosen wisely and well, inviting us to reflect and meditate on his selections

THESE ARE REVOLUTIONARY TIMES, BUT UNLIKE THE LATE 1960s, when Kwanzaa was first observed by a handful of celebrants in Los Angeles, today's revolution, to paraphrase Gil Scott-Heron, cannot be televised. The revolution this time is happening in our heads. I call it Muscular Black Pride[TM]: the recognition that expressions of our heritage cannot end with a slogan, a clenched fist, a kente cloth stole or an ornate African walking stick. Those symbols should only serve as reminders of how we should act to recognize and bestow honor on our heritage.

For instance, years ago I was visiting an Afrocentric friend who told his young daughter to turn off the television and do her homework.

"But Daddy," she protested, "a show on Africa is about to come on!"

"The most African tiring you can do right now is get started on your homework," he countered. They taped the program and viewed it later. The point had been made: neither rhetoric nor knowledge of our history alone equals black pride; daily concrete, positive action does. That is the message of Muscular Black Pride[TM]. That is the spirit of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa means first fruits of the harvest, in Swahili, the East African trade language. The seven-day observance was created and first celebrated in Los Angeles in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, who is now the chair of the Black Studies Department at the University of California at Long Beach. Kwanzaa's symbols and rituals: the corn that symbolizes our children, the fruits and vegetables that symbolize the rewards of working together, and the lighting of the candles of the Kinara, for instance, are now performed by millions of people of African descent between December 26 and January 1. They are annual reminders that our behavior during the rest of the year should reflect the highest ideals of our heritage. Reading to our children when we are tired does not make exciting television. Networking in our community so that our hard-earned dollars benefit our community will not provide captivating images for broadcast. Nonetheless, they are revolutionary acts, whose benefits will manifest years later in an educated and more vibrant black America.

On each day of Kwanzaa, one of the holiday's seven principles is discussed and celebrated. Gifts are sometimes exchanged, but Dr. Karenga, in an effort not to have the holiday degenerate to a commercially driven spending spree, suggests that gifts be presented only to children, and/or be handmade or have cultural relevance. A book or piece of adinkra cloth with an explanation of the symbols on it, for example. For the details of how Dr. Karenga renders the celebration of Kwanzaa, go to his Web site at http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/.

What follows are nay meditations on the principles of Kwanzaa, with suggestions on gifts we can give one another that will revitalize and strengthen our community.

ON THIS DAY, I PLEDGE ...

December 26-Umoja

Dr. Karenga defines Umoja, the first principle of Kwanzaa, as striving for and maintaining "... unity in the family, community, nation and race." But what is unity? Fielding a football team comprised entirely of quarterbacks is unity of a kind, but is it a winning strategy? Assembling a dozen bricklayers to build a house is unity of a kind, hut without carpenters, electrician's. roofers and so forth, can you build a sound house? Success depends on the group, in all their variety, being dedicated to common goals.

We of African descent--whether we are from Africa itself or of African American, African Caribbean or Afro-Latino heritage--share the same goals, and this can't be emphasized enough. Who among us doesn't want political empowerment for our people? Who among us doesn't want economic empowerment or a thorough education? Who among us doesn't want our people to flourish? The means toward attaining those goals, however, are as varied as our political views, socioeconomic background and individual temperaments. The best way for one of us to achieve our collective goals might not even be right for someone else. We ourselves might switch strategies, but our goals remain fixed.

On this first day of Kwanzaa, Umoja, I pledge to give the gift of tolerance and reach out to those who share the common goals of our people, even if they have different ways of achieving them.

December 27-Kujichagulia

Movies, television shows, magazine and newspaper articles bombard us with images of how the mainstream sees us. But the second principle of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia, or self-determination, challenges us to ask ourselves this question: "What do I think it means to be a black person?" This second principle, according to Dr. Karenga, urges us to "... define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves." It further challenges us to act in accordance with the highest aspects of our self-definition. Does dais mean we must found a new civil rights organization or donate thousands of dollars to our church? Not necessarily. It means that even in our smallest gestures we realize that our heritage, our "race," is something we live up to, not something we live down. It means that we ignore what the mainstream has to say about us-good or bad- and decide for ourselves what we want our skin color, our hair texture, the fullness of our lips, and most importantly, our heritage, to symbolize. It means we take phrases such as "affirmative action" and "playing the race card" and make them mean what we want them to mean through our behavior. We can make "affirmative action" mean acting constructively to affirm our community and its history. We can make "playing the race card" mean letting our "race" be our calling card, indicating intelligence, responsibility, resilience, perseverance and goodness.

On this second day of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia, I pledge to give the gift of deliberation by first asking if my definition of what it means to be black is likely to lead to prosperity and fulfillment. If so, I pledge to act according to my beliefs.

December 28-Ujima

a good paradigm for the third principle of Kwanzaa, Ujima, or collective work and responsibility, would be the multiplatinum records sales of your favorite recording artist, whether it is Luther Vandross or 50 Cent. These artists have sold millions of records. How? Do two or three dedicated fans waltz into a record store and each purchase 300,000 copies of every release? Or do millions of individuals enter record stores around the country and each buy one copy of a CD? The answer is obvious!

Dr. Karenga explains that Ujima means we should strive to build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together. It means listening to one another. It means being part of the brainstorming for a solution. If a black friend is looking for a job, it means going through our Rolodex for business contacts.

If a black friend has a health problem, it means recommending a trusted doctor, or a book that might offer a remedy, without being asked. We are only droplets in the ocean of life, only vapor in the sky, but through our collective actions our community will be renewed.

On this third day of Kwanzaa, Ujima, I pledge to give the gifts of nourishment and support by suggesting a solution--without being asked--when I notice someone in our community who has a problem.

December 29-Ujamaa

When I ask for a recommendation for a lawyer or tailor from a Jewish friend, nine times out often the person I am referred to will be Jewish. When I ask for a recommendation for a dentist or doctor from a gay friend, nine times out of ten the person I am referred to will be gay. When I ask for a recommendation fur a professional or business service from a black friend, nine times out often the person I am referred to is NOT black. The fourth principle of Kwanzaa, Ujamaa, or cooperative economics, suggests that we change that. In the words of Dr. Karenga, Ujamaa means we "build and maintain our own stores, and other businesses and ... profit from them together." Granted, black people do not have an equally strong presence in all professions. We don't necessarily own a lot of businesses. When you are pleased with the work of a black professional or business, SPREAD THE WORD. Put it on your to-do list to tell at least five people about this person or business.

On this fourth day of Kwanzaa, Ujamaa, I pledge to give the gift of economic support to the black community by purchasing at least one thing from a black merchant. I also pledge to give the gift of economic support by asking a minimum arrive friends to each recommend at least one black person or business I can patronize throughout the rest of the year.

December 30-Nia

Nia means purpose. On dais fifth day of Kwanzaa, Dr. Karenga suggests our purpose be to "make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness."

How do we develop a sense of "purpose" or direction in accomplishing the ways we choose to strengthen our community? How do we accomplish our individual goals? The same way Frederick Douglass attained literacy during a time when it was illegal for blacks to learn to read or write. The same way Berry Gordy, grandfather of Motown founder, Berry Gordy Jr, stayed on task in achieving economic self-sufficiency in rural Georgia in the 1890s, when black people were routinely cheated of their wages and deprived of property. Douglass, the elder Gordy, and tens of thousands of black men and women today and throughout our history accomplished what seemed impossible by staying on task. They saw the importance of the thousand little steps it takes toward accomplishing their ultimate goal. While completing each step, they never lost sight of their goal.

On this fifth day of Kwanzaa, Nia, I pledge to give my community and myself the gift of persistence by doing at least one thing toward attaining one of my goals.

December 31-Kuumba

"With every step he takes, flowers bloom beneath his feet." That is a paraphrase from an Iranian song testifying to the spontaneous creativity of one of their folk figures. But it could have come from Dr. Karenga's description of the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba, or Creativity, in which he says we should "... 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." Historically, we've had no problem with doing that. The creativity of the black community dominates music, the approach to sports, and a significant portion of fashion world. We know, but perhaps too many of us forget, that there is at least as much creativity in discovering a cure for polio as in wearing a baseball cap askew, in developing a scientific formula as in writing a rap lyric.

For years, civil rights activists Bob Moses has been showing young black men and women from the rural South how flowers of creativity grow from algebraic formulas. Nonetheless, more of us should know that approaching a problem systematically and logically is not a weed that chokes creativity. More times than not, a measured approach to a problem stimulates the most creative solutions.

On this, the sixth day of Kwanzaa, Kuumba, I pledge to give the gift of analysis to myself and my friends and loved ones. When confronted with a problem, I will take five minutes to thoroughly analyze it before committing to a solution.

January 1-Imani

What is Imani, or faith, the seventh and final principle of Kwanzaa? Is it the conviction that a supreme being will intercede on our behalf in a time of need? Is it a weapon to be used against enemies who doubt our ability to succeed? Is it a tool to be used when trying to accomplish a difficult task? Dr. Karenga defines faith not as a noun, but as a verb: "To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle." Faith keeps us strong in times of stress, keeps us motivated when we are discouraged. Faith says "Yes, I can" in the midst of setbacks and rejections. Faith is understanding that every disappointment brings us closer to success. Faith is being prepared. Faith is accepting that while we are different, we share the same goals. Faith is defining ourselves in the way we see fit. Faith is knowing that that even our smallest efforts to make a better world count. Faith is believing that miracles do AND WILL happen.

On this, the seventh day of Kwanzaa, Imani, I pledge to give the gift of encouragement by supporting members of my family and my black friends and neighbors in their positive goals.

Kwanzaa Books by Eric V. Copage

Soul Food: 105 Inspirational Stories for African Americans (Hyperion, June 2000, $11.95, ISBN 0-786-88499-1)

Black Pearls: Daily Meditations, Affirmations, and Inspirations for African-Americans (Quill/Wm Morrow, 1993, $10.00, ISBN 0-688-12291-4) The book spawned three other inspirational titles: Black Pearls for Parents: Meditations, Affirmations, and Inspirations for African-American Parents (Quill/Wm Morrow, 1995, $12.00, ISBN 0-688-13098-4); Black Pearls Journal (Quill/Wm Morrow, 1995, $12.95, ISBN 0-688-13967-1); and Black Pearls: Book of Love: Romantic Meditations and Inspirations for African Americans (Quill/Wm Morrow, 1996 $11.00, ISBN 0-688-13970-1)

A Kwanzaa Fable: A Novella (William Morrow, October 1995 $15.00, ISBN 0-688-13968-X)

Kwanzaa: An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking (William Morrow/Quill, November 1993, $15.00, ISBN 0-688-12835-1), published in hardcover in 1991, was the first popular book to describe and offer tips on observing Kwanzaa. The book contains a selection of 130 recipes and 30 stories, proverbs, quotes and inspirational stories.

Copage was the executive producer of two anthologies of music of the African Diaspora: Kwanzaa Music and Kwanzaa Party, both released by Rounder Records ($16.98 each).

Eric V. Copage is the author of the best-selling Black Pearls daily meditation series, and most recently of the best-seller Soul Food: Inspirational Stories for African Americans and Soul-Mates: An Illustrated Guide to Black Lave Sex and Romance. Copage wrote a radio play, A Kwanzaa Story, which was broadcast during holiday seasons on KALW-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in San Francisco. The play was later turned into his novella A Kwanzaa Fable. He also produced two anthologies of music from the African Diaspora, Kwanzaa Music and Kwanzaa Party, both released by Rounder Records. His television special on Kwanzaa was broadcast on Manhattan cable television. For more than a decade, Copage was a staff editor at The New York Times magazine, where, in addition to his other duties, he edited and cocreated the popular "Lives" column. He graduated from California Institute of the Arts, in Valencia, California. His current project is The Greatest Migration[TM]. Copage, who currently lives in Montclair, New Jersey, observes Kwanzaa exclusively for BIBR on page 20.