Kwanzaa.

It’s definitely not an obscure holiday. Everyone knows the word (part of a Swahili phrase meaning “first fruits”) but it’s not the most mainstream one. Most likely, you didn’t learn about it in school. It didn’t get the Rugrats treatment like Hanukkah or Passover. And since it falls at the end of the year, its significance gets lost in a sea of jingle bells, menorahs and sequins. But we at College Candy refuse to let your brains rot in your winter boredom blahs, so we’re here to break down Kwanzaa for you.

What is it?

Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday, starting December 26 and going through January 6. It is a celebration of all African culture, but is primarily observed by African-Americans.

What is the story behind it?
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by CSU-Long Beach professor Maulana Karenga. He was an active proponent of Pan-Africanism. This is a philosophy born in the 18th century. When Africans were sold into slavery, they were completely stripped of their culture. Over generations, it became difficult, especially for African-Americans, to trace their heritage back to their home country. Pan-Africanism seeks to unite all people of African descent around the world into a large global community by highlighting their shared historical experiences and cultural norms. In the 1960s, Pan-Africanism made a resurgence in the United States in conjunction with the civil rights movement, and Dr. Karenga established Kwanzaa as a way to embed Pan-Africanism into African-American culture. Kwanzaa was also rooted in a desire to give African-Americans a holiday of their own.

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Eight months after radio-host Don Imus used racial slurs against the Rutgers Women’s Basketball teams he’s back on the air – and he’s not racist anymore! Promise!

Imus (and the heads at RFD-TV, no doubt) must have thought it would be a great idea to prove his non-racial stance by hiring on not one but two black comedians. (We are only calling attention to their race to prove how “un-racist” we are here at College Candy.)

Diversity has a name, or two names in this case: comedians Karith Foster and Tony Powell. Foster is a Jewish/African-American/Texan who graduated from Oxford (JACKPOT!) and Powell is…an African-American comedian!

Don Imus, African-American sidekick(s), continued wisecracks and controversy – sounds like the show is extending an olive-branch towards its infamous rival.

Will this act of unity (and comedy) scream heavy-duty marketing or turn this never-ending controversy on its ear? Tune in to WABC-AM (or RFD-TV) and find out.