12-21-11: Questioning Kwanzaa

[audio http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wypr/local-wypr-997845.mp3]

This year marks 45 years since the first celebration of Kwanzaa, a pan-African and African American holiday founded by Maulana Karenga during the civil rights movement.  From December 26 through January 1 of each year, millions of African Americans gather with family and friends to light the candles of the kinara- each representing a different aspect of African American culture.

But many African Americans have refrained from celebrating the holiday, questioning where Kwanzaa fits in the Black American experience.

Sheilah discusses Kwanzaa’s origins, the hesitation in accepting it, and the holiday’s benefits with two University of Maryland Professors: Associate Professor of American Studies, Dr. Sheri Parks and Professor of Anthropology, Dr. William Stuart.