School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 1 – Week 17
The celebration of Kwanzaa
Last week the first-grade scholars and I reminded ourselves that in the month of December many different religions and groups celebrate. It was a good reminder that while we all need to feel good about our traditions and beliefs we also benefit from respecting the traditions and beliefs of others. When we think, our way is the only way or the true way we dishonor our own traditions and beliefs as well as those of others.
Since we last met the scholars and their families have been discussing a relatively new tradition, Kwanzaa, which was first introduced and celebrated in 1966-1967 in the United States and in other nations of the Western African diaspora in the Americas. As always I am eager to hear what the young scholars have to. Say. I hear them arriving now.
Me: Good morning everyone.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies!
Cookies. Cookies! Cookies!
Me: I hear you. Tara and Sofia please pass out the cookies before everyone starves to death.
Tara and Sofia quickly pass out the cookies.
Me: I am eager to hear about Kwanzaa and what you and your families have learned about and from it. First, let us review some basics. How long is the celebration?
Ahmes: One week Mr. Jim. December 26 through January 1.
Me: Who or what does it celebrate.
Sam: (reads off a paper she has brought with her). Diaspora
Me: Diaspora. Does anyone know what that means?
Steve; We looked it up. It means what my sister and I do when there are chores.
We scatter!
Me (Unsuccessfully hiding a smile.) That is right Steven, but in this instance it means something more. Africans were often sold and moved from their homeland. They were sold by their own people or by others. Later, after the civil war in the United States. millions of them were forced to leave their homes in the South because of how dangerous it was and the fact that they could not take care of their families. Imagine if we split the room in two and everyone on my left side were taken to another country and not allowed to see their families again.
I will write the word on the board.
DiASPORA
Me: if we moved this half of the class what all would they be losing?
Susie: Their families.
Tara: All their stuff.
Steve: Their school.
Sue: Their friends.
Me: What if they were sent to a place which had a different language? They would also lose their language.
Sofia: Everything
Ahmes: Freedom
Me: Very good everyone. When a group of people lose so much it is important to take back as much as you can. The celebration of Kwanzaa celebrates a part of what they lost. Each of the seven days they celebrate they take back something they lost. These are called the seven principles of African Heritage. Another name for this is Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba) (Wikipedia) For example Christians celebrate different times in the life of Jesus leading up to Christmas Day which is a celebration of what?
Tommy: The birth in the manger.
Me: Yes, very good Tommy. The first day Kwanzaa celebrates:
(I write on the board.)
Tara what do you think unity means.
Tara: When we all work together to clean the house or help to fix dinner for Christmas.
Me; Very good Tara. That is exactly it. So, before they were taken from their home, they lived in tribes where they lived and worked together. On the first day, they concentrate on what it means to work together – to help each other.
Sam: Like the group Black Lives Matter.
Me: Excellent. For some, Blank Lies Matter is an attempt to work together to make it safer for all African Americans which will make it safer for everyone in our country.
Steve: You always want us to work together and get unhappy when we are not nice to each other.
Me; Yes. When we are not nice to each other we do not get, much done do we.
The second day Kwanzaa celebrates:
Me: Does anyone know why this is important.:
Tommy: At home, we wrote on the board some of the thing that were taken. I brought a list:
Names, what to wear, children, school, land, family,
Me: Very good. Even after the Civil War in many parts of this country African Americans were not allow to have certain jobs, eat at many restaurants, stay at hotels, or even sit in the same place in churches as white people. There were laws restricting every part of one’s life.
Sam: That would be terrible Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes it was Sam. Remember when we talked about Rosa Parks? What made her famous?
Suzie: She did not sit where she was supposed to sit on the bus. Just because she was a different color?
Me: Yes.
Steve: That was mean.
Sam: And stupid
Me: I agree. Thanks all three of you. I think we have time for one more principle today. The third principle of Kwanzaa is:
This is similar to the first one on unity but it also reminds of what?
Sofia: When someone in the class has a problem we all try to help.
Ahmes; It is the same in our family. When someone was sick or sad when we were in Egypt everyone came. Now everyone cannot come but everyone is on the phone. Even their faces are there!
Me; Very good. We are a team. Families and communities are a team. When one part is missing, nothing works well If we took a tire off the bus what would happen?
Tommy: It would crash.
Me: Thanks Tommy. So, no matter where we are going on the bus and how important it seems if we do not fix the tire we will crash.
It seems we are out of time. Unless someone needs to talk about something else next week we will discuss the last four principles of Kwanzaa. Sue: Will you hand the pager out to everyone?
Sue: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Class: Cookies!
Me: Okay. Sam and Sofia, will you pass out the cookies please?
They do so.
Me: Great job everyone. Have a wonderful week.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim.
Written December 7, 2016
School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 1 – Week 17
The celebration of Kwanzaa
Last week the first-grade scholars and I reminded ourselves that in the month of December many different religions and groups celebrate. It was a good reminder that while we all need to feel good about our traditions and beliefs we also benefit from respecting the traditions and beliefs of others. When we think, our way is the only way or the true way we dishonor our own traditions and beliefs as well as those of others.
Since we last met the scholars and their families have been discussing a relatively new tradition, Kwanzaa, which was first introduced and celebrated in 1966-1967 in the United States and in other nations of the Western African diaspora in the Americas. As always I am eager to hear what the young scholars have to. Say. I hear them arriving now.
Me: Good morning everyone.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies!
Cookies. Cookies! Cookies!
Me: I hear you. Tara and Sofia please pass out the cookies before everyone starves to death.
Tara and Sofia quickly pass out the cookies.
Me: I am eager to hear about Kwanzaa and what you and your families have learned about and from it. First, let us review some basics. How long is the celebration?
Ahmes: One week Mr. Jim. December 26 through January 1.
Me: Who or what does it celebrate.
Sam: (reads off a paper she has brought with her). Diaspora
Me: Diaspora. Does anyone know what that means?
Steve; We looked it up. It means what my sister and I do when there are chores.
We scatter!
Me (Unsuccessfully hiding a smile.) That is right Steven, but in this instance it means something more. Africans were often sold and moved from their homeland. They were sold by their own people or by others. Later, after the civil war in the United States. millions of them were forced to leave their homes in the South because of how dangerous it was and the fact that they could not take care of their families. Imagine if we split the room in two and everyone on my left side were taken to another country and not allowed to see their families again.
I will write the word on the board.
DiASPORA
Me: if we moved this half of the class what all would they be losing?
Susie: Their families.
Tara: All their stuff.
Steve: Their school.
Sue: Their friends.
Me: What if they were sent to a place which had a different language? They would also lose their language.
Sofia: Everything
Ahmes: Freedom
Me: Very good everyone. When a group of people lose so much it is important to take back as much as you can. The celebration of Kwanzaa celebrates a part of what they lost. Each of the seven days they celebrate they take back something they lost. These are called the seven principles of African Heritage. Another name for this is Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba) (Wikipedia) For example Christians celebrate different times in the life of Jesus leading up to Christmas Day which is a celebration of what?
Tommy: The birth in the manger.
Me: Yes, very good Tommy. The first day Kwanzaa celebrates:
(I write on the board.)
- Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
Tara what do you think unity means.
Tara: When we all work together to clean the house or help to fix dinner for Christmas.
Me; Very good Tara. That is exactly it. So, before they were taken from their home, they lived in tribes where they lived and worked together. On the first day, they concentrate on what it means to work together – to help each other.
Sam: Like the group Black Lives Matter.
Me: Excellent. For some, Blank Lies Matter is an attempt to work together to make it safer for all African Americans which will make it safer for everyone in our country.
Steve: You always want us to work together and get unhappy when we are not nice to each other.
Me; Yes. When we are not nice to each other we do not get, much done do we.
The second day Kwanzaa celebrates:
- Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves.
Me: Does anyone know why this is important.:
Tommy: At home, we wrote on the board some of the thing that were taken. I brought a list:
Names, what to wear, children, school, land, family,
Me: Very good. Even after the Civil War in many parts of this country African Americans were not allow to have certain jobs, eat at many restaurants, stay at hotels, or even sit in the same place in churches as white people. There were laws restricting every part of one’s life.
Sam: That would be terrible Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes it was Sam. Remember when we talked about Rosa Parks? What made her famous?
Suzie: She did not sit where she was supposed to sit on the bus. Just because she was a different color?
Me: Yes.
Steve: That was mean.
Sam: And stupid
Me: I agree. Thanks all three of you. I think we have time for one more principle today. The third principle of Kwanzaa is:
- Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
This is similar to the first one on unity but it also reminds of what?
Sofia: When someone in the class has a problem we all try to help.
Ahmes; It is the same in our family. When someone was sick or sad when we were in Egypt everyone came. Now everyone cannot come but everyone is on the phone. Even their faces are there!
Me; Very good. We are a team. Families and communities are a team. When one part is missing, nothing works well If we took a tire off the bus what would happen?
Tommy: It would crash.
Me: Thanks Tommy. So, no matter where we are going on the bus and how important it seems if we do not fix the tire we will crash.
It seems we are out of time. Unless someone needs to talk about something else next week we will discuss the last four principles of Kwanzaa. Sue: Will you hand the pager out to everyone?
- Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
- Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
- 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.
- Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
Sue: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Class: Cookies!
Me: Okay. Sam and Sofia, will you pass out the cookies please?
They do so.
Me: Great job everyone. Have a wonderful week.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim.
Written December 7, 2016
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