Links and Resources
Kwanzaa
THE OFFICIAL KWANZAA WEBSITE www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org
Site of the authoritative, most comprehensive and reliable sources for information on Kwanzaa. Includes the history, values, symbols, greetings, most frequently asked questions and an annual statement by Dr. Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa, who established this site along with the founding institution of the holiday, The Organization Us.
Organizations
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, LOS ANGELES africanamericanculturalcenter-la.org
The mission of the African American Cultural Center is to recover, research, collect, preserve, interpret, teach and promote knowledge and appreciation of the rich, ancient and varied culture of African people with emphasis on African Americans./p>
THE ORGANIZATION US www.us-organization.org
Growing out of the Black Power Movement of the 1960’s, The Organization Us is a social and cultural change organization and the founding institution of Kwanzaa. The site includes information on the organization’s 42-year history of work, service, struggle and institution-building, current organizing activities, archival material, position papers on critical issues and events calendar.
Black and Africana Studies
MAULANA KARENGA www.maulanakarenga.org
Dr. Maulana Karenga is professor of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. An activist-intellectual of national and international recognition, he is the executive director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies, and Chair of the Organization Us and the National Association of Kawaida Organizations. One of the most incisive and influential social theorist and ethical philosophers in African culture, Dr. Karenga is the founder of Kawaida philosophy, and writes and teaches courses on Continental African and African American philosophy with focus on ancient Egyptian and ancient Yoruba ethical philosophy. Also, he is the creator of the pan-African holiday Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) and the author of numerous books including the Sankore titles: Selections from the Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt, The Book of Coming Forth By Day, Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, Introduction to Black Studies and our recent publications: Maat, The Moral Ideal in Ancient Egypt: A Study in Classical African Ethics and Kawaida and Questions of Life and Struggle.
MOLEFI KETE ASANTE www.asante.net
Dr. Molefi Asante, professor of African American Studies at Temple University and the founding theorist of Afrocentricity, is one of the most-published contemporary scholars, having written over 60 books and 300 articles. He, along with his wife, Ana Yenenga, are co-founders and hosts of the annual Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference.
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR BLACK STUDIES (NCBS) www.ncbsonline.org
The leading organization of Black Studies professionals in the world. For more than 30 years NCBS members have been at the forefront of driving the development of Black and Africana Studies as a vital academic discipline.
THE AFRICAN HERITAGE STUDIES ASSOCIATION E-mail AHSA
The African Heritage Studies Association is an international association of Black scholars dedicated to: (1) the critical study and accurate affirmative presentation of the history, cultural heritage and current life of African people throughout the world; (2) contributing in concrete and effective ways to the liberation and enhanced life of African peoples; and (3) linking African peoples in mutually-beneficial ways in Pan-Africanist projects.
THE CHEIKH ANTA DIOP INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE www.diopianinstitute.org
The largest assembly of Afrocentric scholars gathers each year at the Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference in Philadelphia for the latest research and presentations on African agency. The Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference is recognized for its outstanding scholarship in all theoretical, methodological and analytical and critical subjects.
Theater
THE BILLIE HOLIDAY THEATRE www.thebillieholiday.org
An independent non-profit theater specializing in African American dramatic arts, located in Brooklyn and founded in 1972.
MAMA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS www.mamafoundation.org
Mama Foundation for the Arts brings gospel, blues, jazz and the R&B arts to Harlem, New York City and the world through musical theater, recordings and education.
OSSIE DAVIS & RUBY DEE: THE OFFICIAL SITE www.ossieandruby.com
The official site of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, the famous husband and wife actors, producers, writers and activists.