The fifth principle of Kwanzaa is Nia (purpose) which means “to make our collective vocation, the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.” On Thursday, December 30, NAAM presents Nia: A Kwanzaa Celebration of Spoken Word and Song. This virtual program will feature a variety of Black spoken word artists presenting powerful poetry, musical performances by the African American Cultural Ensemble, African dance and stepping, an elder giving ancestral libations, and a young person being featured.

Register for the Kwanzaa celebration here.

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa

Day 1 (12/26): Umoja (Unity) - To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race

Day 2 (12/27): Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) - To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves

Day 3 (12/28): 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

Day 4 (12/29): Ujamaa (Cooperative economics) - To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together

Day 5 (12/30): Nia (Purpose) - To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness

Day 6 (12/31): 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

Day 7 (1/1): 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