- Playing
- In Defense of Kwanzaa
- From
- Interfaith Voices
Host intro:
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday that begins on December 26th. It was created by a Black Studies professor in the late 60s as a way to celebrate black heritage. Some call it a pseudo-holiday, but when Melonyce McAfee [Mel-OH-nees MAC-ah-FEE] and her family tried it out, back in the early 90s, it turned out to be more meaningful than they expected.
Outro:
Melonyce McAfee [Mel-OH-nees MAC-ah-FEE] is a copy editor at Slate Magazine. Her story was produced by Interfaith Voices.
More from Interfaith Voices
Why the Shofar Matters on the Jewish High Holy Days
(00:01:56)
From: Interfaith Voices
A 2 minute portrait of the shofar, a sacred instrument made from a ram's horn. It's an essential part of services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This piece is short and ...
In the Kitchen With the 'Jewish Martha Stewart'
(00:04:52)
From: Interfaith Voices
A fun, sound-rich portrait of what it takes to cook a Passover seder.
Postcard: Vietnamese Catholics
(00:04:19)
From: Interfaith Voices
A sound-rich portrait of America's oldest Vietnamese Catholic Church
Gay and Lesbian Muslims, On a "Jihad" For Love
(00:12:00)
From: Interfaith Voices
An interview with Parvez Sharma, director of "A Jihad For Love," and Muhsin Hendricks, a subject of the film
Oy, the Miracles of Passover Coke!
(00:04:42)
From: Interfaith Voices
Why is this Coke different from all other Cokes? Answer: It's Kosher for Passover!
Related Pieces
Piece Description
Host intro:
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday that begins on December 26th. It was created by a Black Studies professor in the late 60s as a way to celebrate black heritage. Some call it a pseudo-holiday, but when Melonyce McAfee [Mel-OH-nees MAC-ah-FEE] and her family tried it out, back in the early 90s, it turned out to be more meaningful than they expected.
Outro:
Melonyce McAfee [Mel-OH-nees MAC-ah-FEE] is a copy editor at Slate Magazine. Her story was produced by Interfaith Voices.
Broadcast History
Aired on Interfaith Voices in December 2008 and December 2009
Transcript
I don't know where we got a candelabrum. But there we were, lighting the candles in the kinara and reciting Swahili words like umoja and ujima while my brother poured water from an earthenware jug onto a half-dead plant. We placed whatever fruit we had (apples, oranges, bruised bananas) onto a table festooned with African objets d'art, the kinara, and a small jug of water. For seven nights, we lit a candle and recited one of the Nguzo Saba principles, like nia for faith. The Swahili didn't roll off our tongues, but we liked how it sounded. We performed a libation, pouring liquid from the kikombe cha umoja, or unity cup, into soil in remembrance of our ancestors.
It was Mom's idea, like the reggae concerts, Earth Day fairs, and Marcus Garvey coloring books. Kwanzaa was a way to bring our ragtag family together and nudge us away from the false idols and commercial trickery of the holiday...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:(see description)
OUTRO:(see description)
Related Website
Of 1 purchasers of this piece...
- 1 also bought:
Laughing without an Accent (00:18:02) - 1 also bought:
A Cook's Notebook: Cold Soup (00:03:08) - 1 also bought:
The Hula Lesson (00:57:26) - 1 also bought:
Life Stories - Friendship (00:59:05) - 1 also bought:
The '63 March: Going to D.C. (00:07:03)
