American professor, convicted felon and founder of Kwanzaa (b. 1941)
Maulana Karenga
Karenga in 2003
Born
Ronald McKinley Everett
(1941-07-14) July 14, 1941 (age 82)
Parsonsburg, Maryland, U.S.
Occupations
Author
activist
scholar
Spouse(s)
Brenda Lorraine "Haiba" Karenga (divorced) Tiamoyo Karenga (1971–)
Website
www.maulanakarenga.org
Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett, July 14, 1941),[1][2][3] previously known as Ron Karenga, is an American activist, author and professor of Africana studies, best known as the creator of the pan-African and African-American holiday of Kwanzaa.
Born in Parsonsburg, Maryland, to an African-American family, Karenga studied at Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles. He was active in the Black Power movement of the 1960s, joining the Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In 1965, Karenga and Hakim Jamal co-founded the black nationalist group US Organization, which became involved in violent clashes with the Black Panther Party by 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of felony assault, torture, and false imprisonment of women. He denied involvement and claimed the prosecution was political in nature. Karenga was imprisoned in California Men's Colony until he received parole in 1975.[4]
In 1966, Karenga notably created Kwanzaa, modeling the holiday after the African "first fruit" traditions. The rituals of the holiday promote African traditions, including the "seven principles of African heritage". During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said it was meant to be a black alternative to Christmas. Karenga, a secular humanist, challenged the sanity of Jesus and declared Christianity a "White religion" that black people should shun.[5] However, Karenga later changed his opinion, stating that Kwanzaa was not meant to provide people with an alternative to "their own religion or religious holiday."[6]
Karenga has been awarded two doctorates, one in Political Science in 1976 and one in Social Ethics in 1994.[7] He currently chairs the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach[8] and has authored several books.[9]
^De Leon, David (1994). Leaders from the 1960s: A Biographical Sourcebook of American Activism (1st ed.). Abc-Clio. p. 390. ISBN 978-0313274145. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
^Chapman, Roger, ed. (2010). Culture Wars: An Encyclopedia of Issues, Viewpoints, and Voices. M.E. Sharpe. p. 308. ISBN 978-0765617613. Retrieved May 13, 2012. The seven-day holiday Kwanzaa ... was originated by Ron "Maulana" Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett)
^Mayes, Keith A. (2009). Kwanzaa: Black Power and the Making of the African-American Holiday Tradition. Taylor & Francis. p. 52. ISBN 978-0415998550. Retrieved May 13, 2012. Ronald McKinley Everett was born in 1941. Maulana Kerenga was born sometime in 1963.
^Hugley, Darryl Augusta (2011). The state of Black Nationalism in 21st century urban America (Thesis). OCLC 778699558. ProQuest 902586453.
^Karenga, Maulana (1967). "Religion". In Clyde Halisi, James Mtume. The Quotable Karenga. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press. pp. 25. 23769.8.
^Karenga, Maulana (1997). Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture. University of Sankore Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0943412214.
^"Maulana Karenga | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
^"Faculty and Staff". Africana Studies. California State University Long Beach.
^Thomas-Houston, Marilyn (2018). "CONTRIBUTORS". International Journal of Africana Studies.
Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett, July 14, 1941), previously known as Ron Karenga, is an American activist, author and professor...
called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist MaulanaKarenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of...
established as a community organization by Hakim Jamal together with MaulanaKarenga. It was a rival to the Black Panther Party in California. One of the...
Times". Retrieved 15 December 2006. Karenga, Maulana (1967). "Religion". In Clyde Halisi, James Mtume. The Quotable Karenga. Los Angeles: University of Sankore...
Hilliard, Leonard Jeffries, Jacob H. Carruthers, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, and MaulanaKarenga that is devoted to the rescue, reconstruction, and restoration of African...
celebration is Kwanzaa, observed from December 26 to January 1. Created by MaulanaKarenga in 1966, the holiday honors African heritage in African-American culture...
Kidepo Valley National Park Karenga sub-county, a sub-county in Karenga District Karenga, a town in Karenga District MaulanaKarenga, an African-American activist...
imperialism, colonialism and other forms of oppression. For example, MaulanaKarenga (2001) puts slavery in the broader context of the Maafa, suggesting...
Muhammad.[citation needed] After Malcolm X's death, Jamal joined with MaulanaKarenga and others to found "US", an organization to promote African-American...
amount of looking into Africa's past will make them go away. However, MaulanaKarenga states: Our culture provides us with an ethos we must honor in both...
structural or cultural system to gather, analyze, and interpret data. MaulanaKarenga drew from the concept of Nguzo Saba to develop his research method...
Clark, Asa Grant Hilliard, Leonard Jeffries, Yosef Ben-Jochannan and MaulanaKarenga founded the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations...
Newton John Africa Malcolm X Marcus Garvey Martin Luther King, Jr. MaulanaKarenga Malik Zulu Shabazz Michael X Muhammad Ahmad Obi Egbuna Robert F. Williams...
which Zappa responded "So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table." MaulanaKarenga, a black author, political activist, and creator of Kwanzaa, was a...
University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226847152. Brown, Scot, Fighting for US: MaulanaKarenga, the US Organization, and Black Cultural Nationalism, New York: New...
Jamal and MaulanaKarenga, while a student at Pasadena City College. Mtume received his name, which means "messenger" in Swahili, from Karenga who gave...
Newton John Africa Malcolm X Marcus Garvey Martin Luther King, Jr. MaulanaKarenga Malik Zulu Shabazz Michael X Muhammad Ahmad Obi Egbuna Robert F. Williams...
Newton John Africa Malcolm X Marcus Garvey Martin Luther King, Jr. MaulanaKarenga Malik Zulu Shabazz Michael X Muhammad Ahmad Obi Egbuna Robert F. Williams...
Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009), ISBN 978-1412936361 MaulanaKarenga: An Intellectual Portrait (Polity, 2009), ISBN 978-0745648279 As I...
in the United States. Shortly before the first celebration in 1966, MaulanaKarenga searched for a candle holder with seven holes in which he and the other...
Newton John Africa Malcolm X Marcus Garvey Martin Luther King, Jr. MaulanaKarenga Malik Zulu Shabazz Michael X Muhammad Ahmad Obi Egbuna Robert F. Williams...
Malcolm X later in life or never knew him, including Ta-Nehisi Coates, MaulanaKarenga, Ilyasah Shabazz, and Raymond Winbush. For further information, see...
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