Ujamaa

After weeks and weeks of shopping and getting everything just right for Christmas, I look up and it’s gone already. It’s crazy, inside of 1 day, I said (or text’d), “Merry Christmas!” about 50 times and heard it at least 1,000 times on tv. I guess we say it so much because it will be another 364 days before it’s time to say it again. How many times did you say Merry Christmas? Better yet, how many times did you say Happy Kwanzaa? Do you know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa?

The cool thing about Kwanzaa is that it was created for our very own community. It is designed to represent African as well as African American culture and the concepts, values and practices that symbolize the beauty and depth of our culture. Kwanzaa was founded on the Kawaida philosophy, a communitarian African philosophy that exchanges the best of African thought and practice with the world. And so for each year, for seven days, from December 26 through January 1, we come together to celebrate principles that emphasize culture, community and family.

Today’s principle is Ujamma, which symbolizes cooperative economics. This principle encourages us all to support our own businesses, stores and shops, and profiting from them together. In honor of Ujamma, here are some fun ways to invest in our community:

Eat breakfast or lunch at the Serving Spoon

Visit the Eso Wan Bookstore

Get your hair done!

Support your church. They’re businesses too!

Download free wallpaper from the Kwanzaa Android App

Ditch that Starbucks frap and find a new favorite drink at A Cultural Affair Coffee Shop

Take a dance class at Lula Washington Dance Theatre

Quench your thirst at Juice-C-Juice on Melrose

Support our newspapers! Our Weekly, The Sentinel, LA Watts Times, etc.

Planning a New Year’s kickback? Get some party favors from Amazing Wrapper

As you can see, there are so many easy ways to support Black owned businesses. So easy, you can use today to jumpstart a whole new way of buying. Just think how much our community would grow if we all made it a point to support black owned businesses. Maybe you’ll want to start a business of your own!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Kyle Holland
-- Brownstone Team