In this book, the most prolific contemporary African American scholar
and cultural theorist Molefi Kete Asante leads the reader on an
informative journey through the mind of Maulana Karenga, one of the key
cultural thinkers of our time. Not only is Karenga the creator of
Kwanzaa, an extensive and widespread celebratory holiday based on his
philosophy of Kawaida, he is an activist-scholar committed to a
"dignity-affirming" life for all human beings. Asante examines the
sources of Karenga's intellectual preoccupations and demonstrates that
Karenga's concerns with the liberation narratives and mythic realities
of African people are rooted in the best interests of a collective
humanity.
The book shows Karenga to be an intellectual giant willing to practice
his theories in order to manifest his intense emotional attachment to
culture, truth and justice. Asante's enlightening presentation and
riveting critique of Karenga's works reveal a compelling account of a
thinker whose contributions extend far beyond the Academy. Although
Karenga began his career as a student activist, a civil rights leader, a
Pan Africanist, and a culturalist, he ultimately succeeds in turning his
fierce commitment to truth toward dissecting political, social, and
ethical issues. Asante carefully analyzes Karenga's important works on
Black Studies, but also his earlier works on culture and his later works
on ethics, such as The Husia, and Odu Ifa: The Ethical Teachings.
