In honor of Kwanzaa, a holiday that was started by a Black nationalist who was found guilty of torturing women, Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted on Tuesday a message from her and her husband.
She wished a “Kwanzaa to everybody!” on behalf of her husband, Doug; they hoped the celebration brought “joy and community.”
In addition, Harris stated that she observed Kwanzaa throughout her “growing up” years, which many on X looked upon with suspicion because the holiday didn’t go mainstream, even amongst black families, until the 80s. Harris was born in 1964.
She said Kwanzaa was when her family would unite and celebrate “community, family and culture.”
Joe Biden, the president, also tweeted about the occasion.
On Christmas, Harris posted a picture of her and her husband and wished everyone a Happy Holiday “Season.” There was no mention of Christmas. Kwanzaa, yes. Christmas, no.
The African-American cultural and historical event, Kwanzaa, starts the day following Christmas. Professor and activist Dr. Maulana Karenga established the seven-day vacation in 1966. Its popularity skyrocketed in the ’80s and ’90s. The first formal recognition of Kwanzaa came from former U.S. president Bill Clinton. As the event emphasizes the Nguzo Saba, or seven principles, each day concentrating on one, the National Museum of African American History & Culture states that celebratory notions are communicated in Swahili.
According to a black community activist, Karenga had strong anti-Christian sentiments and wanted the festival to supplant Christmas as the Black people’s primary religious celebration. Karenga spent five years following the birth of Kwanzaa in jail on accusations of abduction and torturing two women. His purported tools for torturing the victims included a soldering iron, a vice, and a toaster.
According to a Twitter thread by American Moment president Saurabh Sharma, the vice president was commemorating a fake holiday invented by a violent pervert who was also a communist.