Kwanzaa begins today (December 26th) through January 1st. Although we don’t actively celebrate the predominately African American and Pan-African holiday each day, I do try to teach my children the seven principles (much like I do with the basics of other holidays).
The one area that I particularly think about during Kwanzaa is whether or not I have used my finances to support any Black owned businesses throughout the year. I must admit that I fell short in 2011. Besides my hairdresser, I really don’t remember using my finances to support other Black businesses. When I lived in Harlem, it was a non-issue, because several of the local businesses and places that we frequented were owned by Black people. Now that we live in Forest Hills, I just have to be more conscious. As I think of it, there are no Black owned (store front) businesses in my predominately Jewish neighborhood. (I’m sure that there are other online Black entrepreneurs like myself though!) That’s fine…I can always travel!
I mentioned the finance thing to Reggie, so we’re going to Red Rooster Harlem this week for our date instead of another restaurant. I’ve been wanting to go there anyway, so it’s a win-win. In any event, I think that it’s a good idea for all people (not just African-Americans) to spread their economic dollars out so that every group of people has a chance for economic success. In any event, you can read about the seven principles of Kwanzaa and the history of this celebration (that is rapidly approaching its 50th year in existence) at The Official Kwanzaa Web Site. Happy Kwanzaa!