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The Man Behind Kwanzaa

December 17, 2012 11:09AM
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The producers at BIO.com review hundreds of photos of famous figures each week, from award-winning actors and popular singers, to headliners and scandal makers. While we're digging through these archives, we often come across amazing photos that we're just dying to share. So, without further ado, here's the one image that stands out to us this week:

 

(Left) Traditional Kwanzaa decorations; (Right) founder Maulana Karenga.

 

The week-long celebration of Kwanzaa, which honors African heritage in African-American culture, was first celebrated in 1966. The holidays founder, Maulana Karenga, created Kwanzaa as a way for African Americans to celebrate their culture and history "rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."
Kwanzaa originates from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanzaa, which means "first fruits of the harvest."

 

Karenga is currently the Chair of the Department of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

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