School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 1 – Week 18
The last four principles of Kwanzaa
Last week the first-grade scholars and I began to discuss the origin of Kwanzaa and the principles which they celebrate. Our invitation this week was to discuss the last four principles. Perhaps we can learn why each of them was chosen.
Here come the scholars now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies today but I promise cookies next week prior to our brief holiday break I am eager to hear what you learned about the remaining four principles of Kwanzaa. Unless someone needs to talk about something else, we will begin with the following principle:
¥ Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Can anyone explain some of the history of this one.
Steve: We asked our African American neighbors grandmother who is visiting. (He reads off of a paper he has brought.) She says that often the bosses or owner of slaves, coal miners, and factory workers were paid very little or nothing and then forced to shop in the company store which would keep them in debt and, thus, even if free, keep them from leaving.
Me: That is very good. Although we are studying the history of Kwanzaa, this principle is a goal of many people. I told you about my friend from Estonia. Remember where it is? Here let me show you. When I went there with my friend whose home was there, the stories, hotels, restaurants were owned by the Soviet people and all the money they made went to Russia. The stores were similar to what were called company stores here. Also, in many poor communities in this country the stores which were owned by someone outside the neighborhood charged higher prices than in the richer neighborhoods. Poor people often do not have cars and cannot go to the other stores.
For a very long time black people were only allowed to shop in certain stores, enter in certain doors, sit is separate sections or could not go in at all. Often none of the profit of these stores helped the community in which they were located.
Susie, as I recall you and Sam had a lemonade stand last year. You got to keep the money you made after you paid for the lemons, sugar and cups. How would you have felt if I can along and took all your profit.
Susie: That would not be fair Uncle Jim. We used the money for our school trip. We could not have gone on the trip if we had to give the money to you.
Sam: So, it is very important for all of us to own the stores and keep the money.
Me: Yes. Then we can take care of each other. But if we have no money every time someone gets sick or need something we have to beg for help and still may not get it.
Sam: We never have to beg for what we need at our house Uncle Jim do we.
Me: No Sam, we do not. Your parents, grandparents, and I use our money to get what everyone in the family needs.
Susie: Sometimes I get things just because I want them and not because I need them.
Me: That is an excellent observation Susie. How about the 5th principle?
¥ Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Tara: In our town all the Italians lived in a place where they had fig trees and lots of grapes. Dad said it was very beautiful. Then the city decided to make a road and tore down a lot of the houses and stuff.
Sophia: My grandparents lived there. They showed me picture and cried.
Sam: The same thing happened to the black people who lived next to the Italians.
Me: That is right. The neighborhood was essentially destroyed. What happens when the Africans were sold and brought to the country? Some of them had been very important in their communities.
Steve: They were treated as machines and not as people.
Me: Yes, Steve that is accurate.
Tommy: My dad said that white people also went to Africa and took the land and made lots of money but then took the money back to their country.
Me: Tommy what would happen if all or most of the money all the parents of everyone in this room went to another country.
Sam: My mom said then everything would fall apart and then the stores and factories would not want to be here and nothing would be good Uncle Jim.
Me: Very good. So, what was once great or good would no longer be good.
How about the next principle?
¥ 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.
Sue: My family and I have moved around a lot. My mum and dad have always told us we must leave the last place more beautiful than when we came.
Ahmes: My mom got one of the toy trucks when we got to this one. She said that the truck could only go forward or backward. It could not stay the same. So, if do not take care of things or the land then they get ugly, the weeds grow everywhere and the buildings fall down.
Me: Very good. There was a very famous man whose name was Heraclitus. He said you cannot step into the same river twice. Rivers are always moving and so in some ways they are always different. Each time we get into the river it is different water. I think your mother is saying that either we make things better or they get worse.
Ahmes: Yes I think so Mr. Jim.
Sophia: Mother said it is same with our family. If we do not take care of each other we will not be healthy and good.
Me: Very good Sophia.
We are nearly of time. The last principle is:
¥ 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.
Who in this class is important?
Class: Everyone Uncle Jim
Sam: Even you Uncle Jim and our parents.
Me: Is it important that we take care of each other and make a nice place to live for all of us?
Steve: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Me: Victory here means that we take care of each other, make sure everyone has a way to make a good livening, and we treat everything and everyone as beautiful. Another word for victory is winning.
Me: Do we all win together or do only some win?
Sam: You always tell us that all of us have to win or no one wins.
Me: That is right.
I know not all of you celebrate Christmas but you all celebrate your love for each other. I also know all of you want everyone to feel good. How about next week we bring one idea of how we can make someone feel good. I have written it down.
Tommy, will you hand one to everyone as they leave?
Tommy: Yes, Mr. Jim
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone. You did a great job today!
Written December 14, 2016
The last four principles of Kwanzaa
Last week the first-grade scholars and I began to discuss the origin of Kwanzaa and the principles which they celebrate. Our invitation this week was to discuss the last four principles. Perhaps we can learn why each of them was chosen.
Here come the scholars now.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No cookies today but I promise cookies next week prior to our brief holiday break I am eager to hear what you learned about the remaining four principles of Kwanzaa. Unless someone needs to talk about something else, we will begin with the following principle:
¥ Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Can anyone explain some of the history of this one.
Steve: We asked our African American neighbors grandmother who is visiting. (He reads off of a paper he has brought.) She says that often the bosses or owner of slaves, coal miners, and factory workers were paid very little or nothing and then forced to shop in the company store which would keep them in debt and, thus, even if free, keep them from leaving.
Me: That is very good. Although we are studying the history of Kwanzaa, this principle is a goal of many people. I told you about my friend from Estonia. Remember where it is? Here let me show you. When I went there with my friend whose home was there, the stories, hotels, restaurants were owned by the Soviet people and all the money they made went to Russia. The stores were similar to what were called company stores here. Also, in many poor communities in this country the stores which were owned by someone outside the neighborhood charged higher prices than in the richer neighborhoods. Poor people often do not have cars and cannot go to the other stores.
For a very long time black people were only allowed to shop in certain stores, enter in certain doors, sit is separate sections or could not go in at all. Often none of the profit of these stores helped the community in which they were located.
Susie, as I recall you and Sam had a lemonade stand last year. You got to keep the money you made after you paid for the lemons, sugar and cups. How would you have felt if I can along and took all your profit.
Susie: That would not be fair Uncle Jim. We used the money for our school trip. We could not have gone on the trip if we had to give the money to you.
Sam: So, it is very important for all of us to own the stores and keep the money.
Me: Yes. Then we can take care of each other. But if we have no money every time someone gets sick or need something we have to beg for help and still may not get it.
Sam: We never have to beg for what we need at our house Uncle Jim do we.
Me: No Sam, we do not. Your parents, grandparents, and I use our money to get what everyone in the family needs.
Susie: Sometimes I get things just because I want them and not because I need them.
Me: That is an excellent observation Susie. How about the 5th principle?
¥ Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Tara: In our town all the Italians lived in a place where they had fig trees and lots of grapes. Dad said it was very beautiful. Then the city decided to make a road and tore down a lot of the houses and stuff.
Sophia: My grandparents lived there. They showed me picture and cried.
Sam: The same thing happened to the black people who lived next to the Italians.
Me: That is right. The neighborhood was essentially destroyed. What happens when the Africans were sold and brought to the country? Some of them had been very important in their communities.
Steve: They were treated as machines and not as people.
Me: Yes, Steve that is accurate.
Tommy: My dad said that white people also went to Africa and took the land and made lots of money but then took the money back to their country.
Me: Tommy what would happen if all or most of the money all the parents of everyone in this room went to another country.
Sam: My mom said then everything would fall apart and then the stores and factories would not want to be here and nothing would be good Uncle Jim.
Me: Very good. So, what was once great or good would no longer be good.
How about the next principle?
¥ 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.
Sue: My family and I have moved around a lot. My mum and dad have always told us we must leave the last place more beautiful than when we came.
Ahmes: My mom got one of the toy trucks when we got to this one. She said that the truck could only go forward or backward. It could not stay the same. So, if do not take care of things or the land then they get ugly, the weeds grow everywhere and the buildings fall down.
Me: Very good. There was a very famous man whose name was Heraclitus. He said you cannot step into the same river twice. Rivers are always moving and so in some ways they are always different. Each time we get into the river it is different water. I think your mother is saying that either we make things better or they get worse.
Ahmes: Yes I think so Mr. Jim.
Sophia: Mother said it is same with our family. If we do not take care of each other we will not be healthy and good.
Me: Very good Sophia.
We are nearly of time. The last principle is:
¥ 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.
Who in this class is important?
Class: Everyone Uncle Jim
Sam: Even you Uncle Jim and our parents.
Me: Is it important that we take care of each other and make a nice place to live for all of us?
Steve: Yes, Mr. Jim.
Me: Victory here means that we take care of each other, make sure everyone has a way to make a good livening, and we treat everything and everyone as beautiful. Another word for victory is winning.
Me: Do we all win together or do only some win?
Sam: You always tell us that all of us have to win or no one wins.
Me: That is right.
I know not all of you celebrate Christmas but you all celebrate your love for each other. I also know all of you want everyone to feel good. How about next week we bring one idea of how we can make someone feel good. I have written it down.
Tommy, will you hand one to everyone as they leave?
Tommy: Yes, Mr. Jim
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Me: Have a good week everyone. You did a great job today!
Written December 14, 2016
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