who created kwanzaa

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an African American activist and professor of Africana studies.

Quick answer

• The holiday Kwanzaa was created by Maulana Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett).

• He introduced it in 1966 in the aftermath of the Watts riots in Los Angeles.

• Kwanzaa was designed as a celebration of African American and Pan‑African culture, family, and community values.

Who Maulana Karenga is

• Maulana Karenga is an activist and scholar who became a key figure in the Black Power and Afrocentric movements in the 1960s and 1970s.

• He later served as a professor of Africana or African American studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Why he created Kwanzaa

• Karenga created Kwanzaa to provide African Americans with a cultural holiday rooted in African heritage, distinct from Christmas but compatible with existing religious practices.

• His stated goal was to help Black communities celebrate themselves, their history, and shared principles like unity, self‑determination, and collective responsibility.

TL;DR: Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an African American activist and professor, as a weeklong cultural celebration of African heritage and community values.

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