Afrikan Family Celebration- UMOJA KARAMU

Umoja Karamu has been celebrated annually every November on the fourth Sunday of the Month. The celebration was created in 1971 by Dr. Edward Simms Jr., to instill new meaning and solidarity into the Black family through ceremony and symbolism. Umoja Karamu means "unity feast" in the African language Swahili, and is spoken by the Bantu people. The feast is based on five colors and their meanings, which represent five historical periods in African American history. Its observances can include prayer; a libation poured to honor ancestors, historical readings, and the passing and sharing of foods in the five colors. Learn more about how Umoja Karamu is celebrated at Amen Ankh Akademy

Umoja Karamu, meaning "unity feast" in Swahili, is a Pan African-American tradition, Celebrated in a manner of our Cultural Afrikan Harvest Festivals, Umoja Karamu's purpose is to instill Unity and solidarity, Family values, and appreciation of Pan-Afrikan-American heritage into Pan-Afrikan American families.  libations to honor ancestors, Saluting the Afrikan American flag, historical readings, Sharing symbolic foods, Cultural Arts, An Ancestral Shrine, and colors, and a healthy feast mark observances.

The celebration is based on five periods of African-American life, each represented by a color.

1. Pre Colonial Global Afrikan Presence - the color black represents Afrikan families before the trans Atlantic Wars and Colonialism 
2. Colonial Enslavement - the color white, symbolizes the striping and scattering of black families and culture during Colonial Chattel Enslavement 
3.  Emancipation - the color red, marks black liberation and Civil War from enslavement 
4. Struggle for Liberation - the color green, significances the struggle for civil rights and equality
5. Hope for our Future Bright- the color gold, points celebrants to hope for the future and passing the baton of legacy to our youth.

Umoja Karamu (pronounced Oo-mo-jah Ca-ra-moo) are Kiswahili words that mean “unity feast.” It is a ceremony of unity that highlights events and periods that have shaped the African Diaspora of families.

Like Kwanzaa, a popular holiday celebrated after Christmas by African American families in the United States, Umoja Karamu is becoming an alternative holiday for African American families who want to distance themselves from the European Holidays like Thanksgiving, that represents the US and global Colonization and Disenfranchisement of Indigenous people.

Umoja Karamu is a ritual for the Black family, that was developed to create new meaning and solidarity through ceremony and symbolism. Now African Americans have an alternative to celebrate family, that represents their own heritage.

Umoja Karamu was inaugurated as a holiday in 1971 and was founded by Brother Edwards Sims, Jr. When it was first introduced, it was only celebrated in Philadelphia and in Washington, D.C. Our traditional roots were violently separated, repressed, and often forgotten during a process called Colonialism.”

Like Thanksgiving, Umoja Karamu also emphasizes family gatherings and feasts, but it also features unique ceremonies. Specific foods and colors on the table are used symbolically to represent meaningful historical periods and elements in the African American experience for the family’s hope for the future.

In the Umoja Karamu tradition, the feast is presided over by the head of the household, Elders, or community Leaders. The 5 Ceremonial foods are placed on a Shrine to represent the Ancestors, which is covered with African fabric. In a special purification rite, a Libation is poured over a plant or tree to invite the Ancestars.

The Ceremonial Foods are: 

Black: Black Beans or Black Eye Peas

White: Brown Rice or Popcorn

Green: Fresh green Vegetables

Red:.   Cranberry Juice

Yellow: Corn, yellow squash 

Extended family members participate directly in Umoja by bringing prepared foods to the ceremony. Candlelight and incense provide ambiance and contribute to an atmosphere of calmness and reflection. Children participate by reading narratives commemorating each historical period while the 5 Ceremonial foods representing the era is passed around. After each narrative, the food is tasted by everyone, like an hors d’oeuvre.  This process is repeated for each era. A benediction is given by the oldest person or elder that marks the end of the rite and signals the beginning of the feast itself.

Different families have their own ways of personalizing the holiday. Drums are sometimes played in the background to set the mood. A storyteller may also perform the narratives. Families have gotten creative when celebrating Umoja Karamu. Powerpoint presentations show pictures of the 5 periods. Some will play the music of Afrikan and American culture, while others might learn a traditional dance.

Umoja Karamu is a way for African American families to celebrate their common history, ethnic experiences, and cultural heritage while tailoring this unique holiday to fit your family’s personality. Traditions that were once stolen can be recreated to strengthen family unity.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday of choice for many but more families are moving away from holidays that resulted in massacres of indigenous people and are seeking a cultural alternative. If you are questioning your support of Thanksgiving, Umoja Karamu might be the perfect celebration for your family.

Amen Par Ankh has presented the Umoja Karamu for more than a decade in Kansas City, Missouri.

Our Local Celebration features African American Historical Presentations Edutainment, Libations, PowerPoint display, Historical Narratives, A shrine for Ancestors, Acknowledgment of our Local Ancestors and their Achievements, Music, and an abundant Potluck Feast: