Senate Democrats Celebrate Kwanzaa: 7 Principles Are ‘Especially Meaningful This Year’

Ashley OliverDecember 27, 2021
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Several Senate Democrats extended Kwanzaa greetings on Sunday, the first day of the week-long post-Christmas holiday geared toward African Americans.

Both of Virginia’s Democrat senators expressed their Kwanzaa well wishes, and Sen. Tim Kaine, in particular, elaborated on how he believes the holiday’s seven principles are “especially meaningful” this year because they are being celebrated amid ongoing coronavirus challenges.

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by black nationalist Maulana Karenga, an activist and professor who was convicted in 1971 of assaulting a woman and sentenced to prison. The woman had accused Karenga of beating and whipping her because, she said, Karenga thought she was trying to poison him, according to a report at the time by the Los Angeles Times.

Karenga is also known for having cofounded “US,” a black nationalist group that opposed the Black Panthers and had, at one point, violent encounters with them, as noted in Jacobin magazine.

Breitbart News’s Joel Pollak reported of Kwanzaa and Karenga’s activism, “Critics often describe Kwanzaa as a ‘fake’ holiday. Even some on the left have trouble with the holiday, noting Karenga’s past activities to oppose the Black Panther movement through a rival organization allegedly backed by the FBI.”

In New Jersey, Sen. Bob Menendez (D) pointed out that the first principle of Kwanzaa, unity, is a “fitting reminder for all of us in these trying times.”

The Garden State’s junior senator, Sen. Cory Booker (D), conveyed that he is observing Kwanzaa by “taking time to reflect on its principles.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a longtime pastor whose controversial and racially-charged sermons, speeches, and writings surfaced during his Senate bid in 2020, posted a “#HappyKwanzaa” message online in honor of the secular holiday.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) described the nonreligious holiday as “sacred.”

Other Senate Democrats acknowledging the cultural celebration included New Hampshire’s Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, who is running for reelection in the Granite State in what is anticipated to be a tight Senate contest next year. “Happy Kwanzaa to all who are celebrating in New Hampshire and across the country!” Hassan wrote on social media.

In Michigan, Sens. Gary Peters (D) and Debbie Stabenow (D) also gave Kwanzaa greetings.

Other Senate Democrats:

Senate Republicans, including the sole black GOP member, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, declined to recognize the holiday.

Write to Ashley Oliver at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @asholiver.

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Ashley OliverDecember 27, 2021
47
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Ashley Oliver

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