[This post originally ran on Dec. 26, 2017.]
Many people have wondered why Kwanzaa is not a bigger holiday or why it is overshadowed by Christmas every year (and when we say “many people,” like our esteemed president, we mean four ... maybe five, tops). In response, we decided to celebrate Kwanzaa Week by pouring our considerable resources, time and money into creating a movement to elevate Kwanzaa to its rightful place as the blackest holiday of all.
When we undertook this crusade to rebrand Kwanzaa, The Root’s entire staff, crew and record label vowed to keep this campaign clean and positive. But during our preparation for Kwanzaa Week, our staff of researchers uncovered some troubling facts about one of Kwanzaa’s most popular opponents.
We had no idea of the vast conspiracy surrounding Christmas.
It is just as disturbing as Benghazi, the Trump Dossier and whatever happened to Judy Winslow on Family Matters. We don’t want to attack the beloved Noel, but we just wanted our readers to know the truth about the Christmas-industrial complex.
For the next seven days, we invite you to deck the halls with boughs of kente cloth and immerse yourself in the real black holiday season. Happy Kwanzaa Week from the staff of The Root!
#MakeKwanzaaGreatAgain
This is a paid political endorsement. All complaints or grievances on behalf of Santa Claus, the “alt-right” or the United Elves Workers Union should be directed to someone who gives a damn!
DISCUSSION
I’ve never quite understood Kwanzaa. It just seemed to appear as a “thing” back in the mid-90s. I get that all holidays are a hodge-podge of beliefs and observances (after all, Christmas & Easter had a lot of elements directly stolen from pagan religions), but what exactly was the impetuous for Kwanzaa? It seems like it was just a “we want a holiday that’s smack dab in the middle of Christmas for black people”. However, I can think of a holiday that actually is blackest of black holidays; you have to give props to Juneteenth, which originated in Texas. I’ve heard it’s starting to spread to other states now. Funny side note, but Big Red soda, one of the best soft drinks in the world, was sort of created during the Juneteenth celebrations.