Position Statements

Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle:
African American, Pan-African and Global Issues
Dr. Maulana Karenga
(Contains position statements from 2005-2006 in one volume.)

December
Symbols and Insights of Kwanzaa: Deep Meanings and Expansive Message (12-27-10)
Annual Founders Kwanzaa Message
"Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba: An Ethics of Sharing Good in the World (12-23-10)
Coming Into Compton: The Continuous Quest for Quality Education (12-16-10)
Red-flagging and Sacrificing Rangel: Hypocrisy and Hurrah in the House (12-09-10)
Overcoming Catastrophe In Haiti: Election Illusions and Continued Struggle (12-02-10)

November
A Covenant With Ourselves: Choosing Life, Rejecting Death (11-25-10)
The Ethics of Education: Grounding Our Teaching, Learning and Life (11-18-10)
Midterm Racial Rage: Shifting Places in Race-Based Seats (11-11-10)
The Moral Vocation of Leadership: Dedication, Discipline and Service (11-04-10)

October
Guarding The Gates Of Change: Keeping Faith, Continuing Forward (10-28-10)
Us Message Waiting: Maybe Got Mail, But Still Got Mission (10-21-10)
Fannie Lou Hamer Walking Off the Plantation: Questioning and Transforming America (10-14-10)
Us Kawaida and Continuing Struggle: In Remembrance and Reaffirmation (10-07-10)

September
Mission and Meaning of Being African: Forging a Future of Shared Good (09-30-10)
Righteous Reflections on Us: Lecture Notes for Our 45th (09-23-10)
Towards Re-Africanization: Kawaida, Culture, Revolution and Resistance (09-16-10)
Sermon On The Mall: Mocking Savior, Symbol and the People (09-09-10)
Remembering New Orleans: Beyond Changing Channels and Moving On (09-02-10)

August
Annulling Muslims' Religious Rights: Declaring Principle; Denying Practice (08-26-10)
Halifu, History and the Festival: A Lived and Living Legacy (08-19-10)
Evil and Ugliness of Racism: Violence, Disadvantage and Struggle (08-12-10)
Sharing the Narrative of Shirley Sherrod: Lessons in Race and Racism (08-05-10)

July
Keeping Faith with Fanon: Reaffirming the Cultural Revolultion (07-29-10)
Ida B. Wells: Troubling and Transforming the Waters (07-22-10)
The Moral Vocation of Leadership: Dedication, Discipline and Service ( 07-15-10)
Waiting for Words of Justice: A Rightful and Dangerous Expectation (07-08-10)
Ukubuyisa for Seba Limbiko Tembo: Righteous Remembrance and Returning (07-01-10)

June
The Ideal and Ethics of Ubuntu: A Kawaida Conversation (06-24-10)
Beyond Species Arrogance: Living Lightly and Humbly on the Earth (06-17-10)
Resisting the Erasure Of Blackness: Human Rights and Racial Justice (06-10-10)
Rebuilding a Culture of Struggle: Breaking Chains Instead of Hugging Them (06-03-10)

May
Celebrating African Liberation Day: Praising the People, Practicing Liberation ( 05-27-10)
Remembering Malcolm, Resisting Arizona: A Call To Common Struggle ( 05-20-10)
A Rightful Reading Of History: Culture, Consciousness and Struggle (05-13-10)
The Confederate Mind of America: Double-Consciousness and Double-Dealing (05-06-10)

April
Remembering Dr. Dorothy Height: A Continuing Providential Presence Among Us ( 04-29-10)
Standing With Paul Robeson: Refusing to Change With the Weather ( 04-22-10)
African Renaissance and Cultural Consciousness: Standing on Sacred Ground ( 04-15-10)
African Renaissance and Remembrance: Celebration and Remembrance in Senegal (04-08-10)
Resurrection And Righteous Renewal: Insights From Kemet, Garvey and Muhammad (04-01-10)

March
Meditating on Woman in the World: Sacred Sources from Ancient Africa (03-25-10)
Playin' And Preying On 'Precious': Playing on Pain and Racial Pathology (03-18-10)
Reaffirming Our Right To Exist: A Transformative Black Agenda (03-11-10)

February
Lucille Clifton: Whole and Holy in the Season of Herself (02-25-10)
Ujamaa and Economic Empowerment: Shared Work, Wealth and Well-Being (02-18-10)
For Imari Obadele: Free the Land, Liberate the People (02-11-10)
History, Memory and Struggle: The Morality of Remembrance ( 02-04-10)

January
Justice in Haiti: Resisting Designs of Domination and Dependence (01-28-10)
Standing In Solidarity With Haiti: Beyond Natural and Unnatural Disasters (01-21-10)
King and the Psychology of Freedom: Self-Respect, Resistance and Resilience (01-14-10)
The Decade of Disenchantment: The Loss of Cherished Illusions ( 01-07-10)

2009
December
Righteous Reflection On Being African: A Kwanzaa Meditation (12-31-09)
Principles and Practices of Kwanzaa: Repairing and Renewing the World (12-24-09
Annual Founder's Kwanzaa Message
Obama Overboard: Foundering in the Waters of War (12-17-09)
Rereading and Retrieving Douglass: Leadership Born of Earnest Struggle (12-10-09)
Storm-Riding With Thurman: A Depthful and Disciplined Spirituality (12-03-09)

November
Tommy Jacquette-Halifu: Warrior Who Rode the Wind (11-26-09)
Sojourner For A Season: Truth-Speaker For Life (11-19-09)
Deaths And Wounds Of War: Signs and Symptoms at Home (11-12-09)
Wigging, Weaving and Burning Away Blackness: Post-Racial Hair and Hope (11-05-09)

October
Remembering the Million Man March: Reflections on Memory and Mission (10-29-09)
Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer: Leader With the Shining Light (10-22-09)
The Death Of Derrion Albert: Living and Dying in America (10-15-09)
Essential Teachings of Messenger Muhammad: A Careful Kawaida Reading (10-08-09)
Black/Africana Studies at 40: Its Roots, Range and Relevance (10-01-09)

September
Celebrating Nkrumah's Centenary: Reflections on His Unfolding Legacy (09-24-09)
Caring For Caster Semenya: Defending Her Sense of Self (09-17-09)
Us At 44: Remembrance Reflection and Reaffirmation (09-10-09)
The Ethics of Health Care: Essential Kawaida Considerations (09-03-09)

August
Re-reading and Rethinking James Baldwin: Rethinking Race and America, (08-27-09)
Blaming White Anxiety On Obama: Proxy Protests and Racial Rage, (08-20-09)
Africa United Renewed and Resurgent: An Urgent Project and Promise, (08-13-09)
Honoring The Watts Revolt: Rightful Remembrance and Renewed Resistance, (08-06-09)

July
Race, Rights, Police and President: Transgressing the Gates of Harvard (07-30-09)
Obama Us And Others: The Problematic of Being President (07-23-09)
Obama In Africa: Rethinking Reality and Responsibility (07-16-09)
Rollercoasting With Michael Jackson: Rise, Ruin and Resurrection (07-09-09)
Frederick Douglass and the 4th of July: Searching for Affirmative Answers (07-02-09)

June
Libation For Limbiko Tembo: Praise-Song for an African Princess (06-25-09)
Marking Father's Day: Meditating on the Meaning of Manhood (06-18-09)
Foundations of Black Fatherhood: Principles and Righteous Practice (06-11-09)
Stepping into the World: Grasping for the Good (06-04-09)

May
Confronting Police Killings: Securing Protection from the "Protectors" (05-28-09)
African Liberation and Renaissance: Beyond Borrowed and Debilitalting Space (05-21-09)
Remembering Malcolm: Becoming and Being Ourselves (05-14-09)
Remembering the Miracle of Our Mother: Sacred Words and Water (05-07-09)

April
Honoring August Wilson: Holding Hallowed Cultural Ground (04-30-09)
Big-PowerBanditry, Small-Scale Piracy: Towards A Deeper Discussion (04-23-09)
Art, Struggle and African Renaissance: FESMAN III (04-16-09)
In Remembrance And Recommitment: Invoking King, Continuing the Struggle (04-09-09)
Message and Mirror to America: Black History and John Hope Franklin (04-02-09)

March
Remembering Freedom's Journal: Cherishing and Challenging the Black Press (03-26-09)
Building Righteous Relationships: Ending Unrighteous Dealings (03-19-09)
Carrying the Shield of Oshun: Meditating on Maat (03-12-09)
Hearing Thunder with Harriet Tubman: Reaping the Harvests of History (03-05-09)

February
Revisiting the Radical Evil of Racism: Cartoons, Cowards and National Complicity (02-26-09)
Dialoging with DuBois on History: Preserving Memory, Maintaining Culture (02-19-09)
Lumumba in the House and in History:
Memories, Conversations and Current Urgencies (02-12-09)
Walking With Woodson in History: Seeking Truth, Justice and Transformation (02-05-09)

January
Recovery And Hope In Haiti: Expecting Audacity from Obama and Us 01-29-09)
Praise Song For A People: Prospects for a Transformative Presidency (01-22-09)
ReReading King: Correcting Revision & Reductive Interpretations of His Dream (01-15-09)
Breaking the Betrayal of Silence: Ending the Suppression and Suffering of Palestine (01-08-09)
Needful Resolutions for the New Year: Reflection, Reaffirmation and Recommitment (01-01-09)

2008

December
Kwanzaa and the Seven Principles: Repairing and Renewing the World (12-25-08)
Justice and Dignity For All of Us: Fulfilling the Promise in Practice (12-18-08)
Concerning Kwanzaa, Race and Religion: Particular, Universal and Common Ground (12-11-08)
Choosing Life in an Era of HIV/AIDS: Rejecting Silence, Self-Deception & Death (12-04-08)

November
Taking Struggle Seriously: Considering the State and Strength of Our People (11/27/08)
Blaming Blacks For White Behavior: Straight Talk About Gay Claims (11-20-08)
Reimagining the Future With Obama: Being Aware, Organized and Engaged (11-13-08)
From Ancient Egypt to Barack Obama: Lessons in Righteous Leadership (11-06-08)

October
On Death Row with Troy Davis: Seeking His Life and Liberation (10-30-08)
Living Locally, Thinking Globally: A Call to Conference and Collaboration (10-23-08)
Fostering Fear and Selling Insanity: Bullpittin and Spittin with Palin/McCain (10-16-08)
Fannie Lou Hamer Walking Off the Plantation:
Questioning and Transforming America (10-09-08)
Debating Downward: Too-Cool Barack and Just-not-with-it-John (10-02-08)

September
Us, The Movement and Memory: In the Winds and Scales of History
Death and Devastation in Haiti: Again Hurricanes of History and Nature
Guarding Against the Guardians: Seeking Sanctuary from Civil Servants
King, Katrina and the Presidential Candidate: Resisting the Erasure of History

August
Michelle Obama: Fighting for the World As It Should Be
Emulating Marcus and Amy Garvey: Lessons in Love and Struggle
Post Black and Continous White: Misreading the Meaning of Obama
Reparations, Resistance and Re-Reading History: Lessons in Politics and Struggle

July
Obama in Berlin: Towards A World-Encompassing Consciousness
Peddling Pathology in the Media: Selling Dream, Drama and Dread
Self-Reflection v. Genuflection: Obama, Jesse and Generation Talk
Affirmative Action and Racial Justice: Requiem, Reaffirmation and Struggle
Fire and Flowering for Gwen Brooks: Blooming in the Whirlwind

June
Soweto, Simba and African Youth: Young Lions in Life and Struggle
Obama's Nomination: The Meaning and Measure of the Historical Moment
Routine Resolution in Rome: Continued Rising Resistance in the World
The Right to Food and the Future: Hunger with a Human Face

May
Stepping into the World: Grasping for the Good
Reaffirming African Liberation Day: Dealing With Its Deeper Meaning
Malcolm, Liberation, Jihad and Justice: Righteous Warrior and Witness to the World
In Reconciliation and Repair: Obama, Wright and the Rest of Us
Taking Lives and Faking Justice: Code Blue and Casualty Black

April
In Honor of Aimé Césaire: Thinking Clearly and Dangerously
Obama, Elections and the Movement: Problematics and Challenges of Change
Repairing and Remaking the World: An Environmental Vision of Justice
Considering King's Martyrdom and Message: Losing Illusions and Gaining Truth

March
Healing and Hope with Obama: Negotiating Race, Racism and Reconciliation
Jeremiah, Jesus and Doing Justice: Obama's Church, Challenge and Campaign
Singing History With Sonia Sanchez: An Unfinished and Unfinishable Poem
Black Women In and As History: Sustainers of the World

February
Life Lessons of History: Our Ancestors and Ancient Egypt
Malcolm X, History and Struggle: Grounding, Insight and Action
Black Love: A Complementary and Species-Compelling Need
History, Heritage and Self-Forgetfulness: Renewing Memory and Continuing Struggle

January
Transcending Race with Barack Obama: Rednecking with Arkansas Bill
Haiti and Africa Inside Us: The Sacrifice, Grandeur and Struggle
King, Obama and the Movement: Keeping Faith in the Future
An Ambivalent Embrace of Obama: The Maturity or Masking of America
Notes for the New Year: Ancient African Ethical Teachings

The Organization Us Position Statements

The Organization Us
Position Statements