Issue date: 10/25/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

The documentary "The Black Candle" by M.K. Asante Jr. is an awe inspiring journey into the world of Kwanzaa and the coming together of a people.
The beginning of the documentary feature starts off with a voiceover done by Maya Angelou and montage of people from all over the world. It then shows people asking other people do they know what Kwanzaa is, and the answers all range from "It's a Christmas holiday" to "what is it". Kwanzaa is an African American celebration that was founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga and lasts from December twenty-sixth through January first. The name comes from a Pan African phrase meaning first fruit (a celebration of the harvest). The Kwanzaa symbols of three green, three red, and one black candle represent the Principles of Kwanzaa. Umoja (Unity) represents the family unit, Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) honors they way we speak for ourselves, Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) shapes the future with intellect, Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) the practice of shared social wealth, Nia (Purpose) helps us to know who we are, Kuumba (Creativity) focuses on artistic skills and Imani (Faith) belief in community.
Asante also shows how African Americans have very little sense of identity especially when he shows the Kiri Davis experiment which is an update of Kenneth and Mamie Clark's experiment study of color among young Black children. Ms. Davis asks one child which is the nice doll and he picks up the white one. Also, how in school African Americans learn in abundance of European history but very little if any at all of their own history. Dr. Lisa Brock comments that African Americans have always felt homeless in the United States and needed somewhere to belong and that is why Kwanzaa is very identifiable and successful, I believe she is right. Spreading like wildfire throughout the Black community it took thirty plus years before the mainstream even took notice. Companies such as Heineken and Revlon started adding Kwanzaa campaigns to their holiday sales, thus helping Kwanzaa to become an even bigger success than it already was.
What I found the most interesting because I myself would sometimes get this confused; is that there is no holiday In Africa called Kwanzaa, but the celebration of Kwanzaa is inspired by African traditions. Another aspect I found interesting that as Consumers Black people spend 800 billion dollars a year but only three percent goes to black owned businesses. Asante has crafted a wonderful documentary about African American culture, identity and how it all ties into Kwanzaa. The sixties as a time when Black people wanted to overturn the white definition of their lives. There were movies, plays, movements and Maulana Karenga saw a perfect opportunity to create a now world phenomenon called Kwanzaa.

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