Kwanzaa CELEBRATION Hughes Family
by J. Lajuana Miller
O n Monday, Janua ry 1, 2024, Reginald and Tiffany Hughes welcomed my husband and I into their lovely, ethnically, and tastefully decorated home for a Kwanzaa Celebration; and what a celebration it was! We were surrounded by family, friends, co-workers, and sorority sisters of the Hughes family. Two guests were Palestinian, which resulted in a highly intellectual but compassionate conversation about current events in the Middle East. Seven candles in a kinara symbolize the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the principles, as follows: • Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. • Kujichagulia (Self-determination): To define and name ourselves, as well as to create and speak for ourselves. • Ujima (Collective work and responsibility): To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers’ and sisters’ problems our problems and to solve them together. • Ujamaa (Cooperative economics): To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. • Nia (Purpose): To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. • Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. • Imani (Faith): To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Many people have raised the question of whether Kwanzaa was meant to replace Christmas in African American households. While initially designed for that purpose, its creator, Dr. Karenga later altered his position. Though some households host Kwanzaa celebrations instead of Christmas, many who celebrate Kwanzaa do so in addition to observing Christmas. In fact, the first thing we saw upon entering the Hughes home was a Christmas tree. Kwanzaa celebratory symbols include a mat (Mkeka) on which other symbols are placed: a Kinara (candle holder for seven candlesticks, Mishumaa Saba (seven candles), mazao (crops), Mahindi (corn), to represent the children celebrating (and corn may be part of the holiday meal), a Kikombe cha Umoja (unity cup) for commemorating and giving shukrani (thanks) to African Ancestors, Zawadi (gifts). This year, Kwanzaa celebrations took place at homes, parks, and community centers throughout central Florida.
At the Hughes home, after introductions, the Kwanzaa ceremony began with Tiffany explaining the function/purpose of each item on the mat. A summary of each Kwanzaa principle was read by a different guest. At the close of the symbolic ceremony, the Hughes served a delicious meal. During the meal we discovered that we had something in common with the Hughes. They have a nephew who lives in Ohio, with whom my husband and I both had interacted professionally. We marveled at how small the world is. We laughed, had interesting
The Hughes Family (left to right) Tiffany, Reginald, and Kharis
conversations, and felt right at home with the Hughes family. It was a great day. We hope your Kwanzaa celebrations created the same results. Dr. Tiffany Hughes is a native of Miami and moved to central Florida to attend the University of Central Florida (UCF), where she was initiated into the Pi Psi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is currently a member of the Award-winning Psi Theta Omega chapter and serves as the Graduate Advisor for the newly chartered chapter of AKA at Rollins College. She holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and has served in the field of education in various capacities for over 22 years. Reginald is a native of Leighton, Alabama, attended Alabama State University, and is an Officer for the Transportation Security Administration. He is a member of the Delta Xi Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. Married for 25 years, Mr. & Dr. Hughes met at a pool party, cupid shot his arrow, and they have been together ever since. They are proud parents of one daughter, Kharis, who is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, graduated from UCF and is now pursuing her master’s degree at Alabama State University.
Tiffany explains the principles of Kwanzaa to guests
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