Author Archives: Ms. Chantal

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 7

IMANI: Faith To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. It all comes down to this one. This day focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us to strive for aContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 7”

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 6

KUUMBA: Creativity To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. This principle is my favorite. Regardless of how yucky the world is, or how tentative my place in it becomes, I will always be committed toContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 6”

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 5

NIA: Purpose To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. I don’t want to see another slave movie for as long as I live. I don’t want to see another inner city/gang/pimp/prostitute depiction. And I sure as shooting don’t want toContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 5”

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 4

UJAMAA: To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. An author is an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur part is kicking my booty. Writing the book, which was by no means the easy part, is just the beginning of the process. Getting people interested enough to want toContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 4”

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 3

UJIMA – Collective Work and Responsibility To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together. Togetherness. I really only experience that with Jenise. We are joined at the hip, like Batman and Robin. We are Sisters from the Greatest Mister. We are artists,Continue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 3”

Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 2

KUJICHAGULIA: Self-Determination To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. There is only one me. That used to bother me, because I have no children of my own to pass my legacy to. Maybe I was not meant to pass who I am and what I do to one person. IContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2022 – Day 2”

Kwanzaa 2022

Yep…it’s that time of the year again. Habari Gani? Kwanzaa! New house. New dining room. New candles, which almost did not get here in time and are impossible to find at the price that I pay for them. Same kinara set. Same dedication to celebrating my culture and honoring the Nguzo Saba (the seven principles).Continue reading “Kwanzaa 2022”