"Put Down that Kinara Fool!"

Anne Coulter turns my stomach. The sight of her causes feelings in the pit of my stomach that only an entire bottle of Pepto Bismol can assuage. With that said, I think the conservative succubus has a point. Several years ago, she wrote an article (that I just so happened to come across today) about the pseudo-holiday known as Kwanzaa.

As a black American, I am fully aware of the positive, family-oriented message that accompanies the meaning of this (ahem) holiday. While I applaud the principles of Kwanzaa (unity, cooperation, faith, purpose), I typically prefer my holidays to have at least a germ of history to them. Even Valentine's day with its pink-hearted cuteness has some basis in history. But where exactly does Kwanzaa come from? According to the "official Kwanzaa website," Kwanzaa is an amalgamation of traditions from various African cultures (still not sure which ones), mixed with some creativity and a dash of need-to-be-different.

Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates
family, community and culture. Celebrated from 26 December thru 1 January, its
origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its
name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which
means "first fruits" in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely
spoken African language.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor, Department
of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, author and
scholar-activist who stresses the indispensable need to preserve, continually
revitalize and promote African American culture.

Leave it to an American professor to remind me to pretend I know where my ancestors are from. While I remain positive they are indeed from the continent of Africa, I dare not assume every region in Africa shares one culture. I'm sure a professor of black studies is fully aware of this fact. He's also aware of the fact that us black Americans are so desperate to feel a link to our roots, and so uneducated about where we come from, that we would no doubt follow suit and raise our kinaras in cooperative unity.