Celebration Archives - Minds Valley

The 7 Days of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of 7 Spiritual Principles

mindsvalley99 — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 14:12:08 +0000

If we want to make a difference in this world, we need to, as the saying goes, “find a need and fill it.” And that’s what Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga did at a time when African Americans were standing up for justice, freedom, and equal rights during the civil rights era.

After the Watts Riots — a six-day riot centered in an impoverished African American neighborhood resulting from long-standing grievances with the systemic racism and inequities they faced in housing, employment, and education in 1965 — Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966 to unite and empower the Black community.

He said, “This is our duty: to know our past and honor it; to engage our present and improve it; and to imagine a whole new future and forge it in the most ethical, effective, and expansive ways.”

What Is Kwanzaa and Why Do People Celebrate It?

Kwanzaa is celebrated annually from December 26 to January 1. As explained by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday but a cultural one that Dr. Karenga created to “reaffirm and restore African heritage and culture, introduce and reinforce the Nguzo Saba or the Seven Principles, serve as a nationally celebrated communal and non-heroic holiday, [and] as an act of cultural self-determination.”

Kwanzaa got its name from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits,” referring to the harvest festivals in Africa. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are expressed in Swahili. Each day of Kwanzaa celebrates one of these principles that were inspired by African values. People light a candle on their Kinara — a candelabra with seven candlesticks — for each principle on each day of Kwanzaa. I find these principles to be very spiritual since these values align with the Baha’i teachings.

What Are the 7 Days and Principles of Kwanzaa?

The color red represents the struggle, black represents the people, and green represents the future.

Day 1: Umoja (Unity)

Since Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa to unite people throughout the African diaspora who had been separated from colonization, it’s no surprise that the first day of Kwanzaa celebrates unity and highlights the importance of striving for and maintaining “unity in the family, community, nation, and race.”

As stated in a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, “Baha’u’llah came to bring unity to the world, and a fundamental unity is that of the family.”

Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)

The invention of Kwanzaa was an act of self-determination. This involves defining ourselves, naming ourselves, creating for ourselves, and speaking for ourselves.

Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, uplifted people of African descent by comparing them “to the black pupil of the eye surrounded by the white. In this black pupil you see the reflection of that which is before it, and through it the light of the Spirit shines forth.”

What an ennobling name to live up to!

Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

At a talk in Canada in 1912, Abdu’l-Baha, one of the central figures of the Baha’i Faith, said, “Regarding reciprocity and cooperation, each member of the body politic should live in the utmost comfort and welfare because each individual member of humanity is a member of the body politic, and if one member is in distress or is afflicted with some disease, all the other members must necessarily suffer.”

Collective work and responsibility is about building and maintaining our community together and making “our community’s problems our problems” and solving them together.

Day 4: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

According to a 2016 analysis from the Corporation for Enterprise Development and Institute for Policy Studies, it would take African Americans 228 years to accumulate the same wealth that white people have now if the current policies stay the same.

The fourth day of Kwanzaa focuses on trying to alleviate this racial wealth gap that was created from centuries of oppression. The mission of this day is “to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.”

As the Baha’i writings say, “Be ye loving fathers to the orphan, and a refuge to the helpless, and a treasury for the poor, and a cure for the ailing. Be ye the helpers of every victim of oppression, the patrons of the disadvantaged.”

Imagine how much justice and equity we would have if everyone embodied this Baha’i teaching!

Day 5: Nia (Purpose)

For this fifth day of Kwanzaa, the purpose is defined as making “our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.”

And, in around 1873, Baha’u’llah wrote: “Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others.”

Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity)

On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, people express their creativity by doing as much as they can “to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.”

The Baha’i writings say:

God has given us eyes, that we may look about us at the world, and lay hold of whatsoever will further civilization and the arts of living. He has given us ears, that we may hear and profit by the wisdom of scholars and philosophers and arise to promote and practice it.

Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we, distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines, whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge. We should continually be establishing new bases for human happiness and creating and promoting new instrumentalities toward this end.

Day 7: Imani (Faith)

The last day of Kwanzaa celebrates faith — believing “with all our hearts in our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.”

As the Bab, the forerunner and herald of Baha’u’llah, said: “Arise in His name, put your trust wholly in Him, and be assured of ultimate victory.”

Source link

The post The 7 Days of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of 7 Spiritual Principles appeared first on Minds Valley.

‘A celebration of life’: Herald Square Plaza art installation marks Mental Health Awareness Month, Fountain House anniversary

mindsvalley99 — Tue, 23 May 2023 17:33:22 +0000

An immersive art gallery centered around mental health opened at Herald Square Plaza over the weekend, marking Mental Health Awareness Month and nonprofit Fountain House’s 75th anniversary.

The exhibition, called YELL!, was set up by Fountain House — a national mental health nonprofit fighting for the rights of those impacted by mental illness — between 34th and 35th streets in Midtown.

To spread awareness about the realities of the city’s mental health system, Fountain House and its artists, who are members of the nonprofit, believed they had to think big.

“We wanted to take up space and get lots of attention,” said Rachel Weisman, Fountain House’s gallery director. “There are tons of tourists here and it’s a really big public place. That will allow many to hear from the people it affects so they can empathize and create understanding.”

The installation consisted of five “houses” placed in an almost maze fashion to represent mental illness and navigating the treatment systems is not linear. Each house represented a theme of mental illness or recovery, including PTSD, self-harm, psychosis, medication, and systemic institutionalization. On the outside of each house, painted white, were stock photos of families having fun and being loving towards each other. But once a visitor went into each house’s entrance, the artwork was different.

The walls inside were painted black, with paintings, drawings, and poetry covering the walls, expressing the artists’ feelings on the house’s theme. One house, about psychosis, showed a film regarding the issue. At specific times during the weekend, members of Fountain House publicly read their poetry or plays.

“The subject manners are heavy,” said Weisman, “but we also wanted to show that recovery is possible.”

Calling the art immersion gallery YELL! also captured the goal Fountain House’s artists wanted to reach in bringing attention to the needs of the mentally ill.

“Stigma is a terrible thing,” said Karen Gormandy, Fountain House’s studio director. “People need to have a voice and people are being punished for an illness they didn’t bring on themselves.”

Rich Courage, a 20-year member of Fountain House who read his play at the gallery, has another way of seeing what YELL! means.

“When someone is yelling in public, they could just be upset or angry.” he said. “Do you incarcerate them? No.”
A look at YELL!’s section dedicated to psychosis.Photo by Megan McGibney

Fountain House members and staff said they wanted visitors who viewed the exhibition to realize that getting help for the mentally ill is not always easy, particularly for the homeless.

“People are not getting the help they need,” said Arturo Sitjar, who helped put up the installation. “The homeless, they definitely don’t get the help they need. YELL! could even mean someone needs help or they’re asking for help.”

The members of Fountain House praised the organization for helping them recover from their mental illness struggles and create a better life for themselves. Courage says he is the happiest he’s been in all his 63 years.

“They lift you up and inspire you to help yourself,” he told amNewYork Metro. “Community is at the heart of Fountain House and gives a feeling of belonging. [It] has taught me to show gratitude. I have friends, a purpose.”

Recent member Nicholas Parhan said Fountain House helped him with a trauma he went through a couple of years ago. He stressed the importance of taking care of one’s mental health, even in a place like New York.

“New York City is a big city,” he says. “One of the biggest in the world, and we’ve got mental health problems. Everyone needs to take mental health awareness very seriously.”

New York has many people living with mental illness, including 17% of the homeless who have severe mental illness, according to community-based organization BronxWorks. Among them was Jordan Neely, a homeless street artist who suffered from a long bout of mental illness before succumbing to a fatal chokehold on a subway train earlier this month.

With the tragedy still fresh on people’s minds, the members of Fountain House were aware that some visitors to their gallery would think of Neely and how his death has drawn attention to the limited mental health resources for many, including the homeless.

“It’s tragic but true,” Courage said. “Tragic in a way to get attention. I hope it propels the state to put some money into resources.”

Others talked about how Mayor Eric Adams has been making mental health a priority, though he stirred up controversy late last year with a plan to involuntary hospitalize mentally ill homeless people. While some Fountain House members say they opposed the idea, others, like Sitjar, said they appreciate the work the Adams administration has done to help New York’s mentally ill.

YELL! opened to the public Friday and closed Monday. It was funded by a grant from the Sozosei Foundation, which seeks to decriminalize mental illness. The gallery’s next stop will be on Governor’s Island sometime this summer, where Fountain House will also be having a six-month residency, ending later in the fall.

Until then, Fountain House’s gallery continues to work on spreading the word about the importance of mental health, and showing how people with mental illnesses have struggled but also have overcome adversity.

“This is a celebration of people overcoming their adversity,” Courage said. “The same as anyone else. This gets rid of labels. Everybody has their worth, everybody has something wonderful. We’re all very much the same. This is a celebration of life.”

Source link

The post ‘A celebration of life’: Herald Square Plaza art installation marks Mental Health Awareness Month, Fountain House anniversary appeared first on Minds Valley.

Life Celebration Verse Writer Service For Residents Living Near Me Columbia Ave Riverside CA 92507

mindsvalley99 — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 22:12:03 +0000

Presenting the Memorial Writing Service: A Loving Tribute for Your Loved One

Following loss, words frequently fall short. The appropriate words can bring solace, convenience, and tranquility to those that mourn, however locating them can be an frustrating task. With our Memorial Writing Service, we recognize the relevance of honoring your loved one with a suitable homage that catches their essence and also commemorates the extensive effect they had on the lives of others.

Our team of caring and talented authors is committed to crafting customized, sincere memorials that show the distinct individuality of your liked one. We are below to assist you discover the perfect words to recognize their memory, creating a lasting homage that will certainly be cherished for years to come.

Why Pick Our Memorial Writing Service?

Individualized and Heartfelt Memorials: Our seasoned authors will certainly work very closely with you to develop a one-of-a-kind memorial that captures the essence of your liked one. By integrating personal anecdotes, preferred quotes, and also valued memories, we ensure your homage will certainly be a real representation of the love and admiration you hold for them.

Alterations: We recognize that locating the excellent words is important, and we are committed to aiding you produce a memorial that brings convenience and also tranquility to your heart. That’s why we offer 2 revisions, permitting you to make any adjustments necessary to ensure the last memorial fulfills your expectations and also honors your loved one as you planned.

Timely Delivery: In times of pain, it’s important to concentrate on healing and bearing in mind the ones we’ve lost. Our team is devoted to offering you with a wonderfully crafted memorial within your specified time-frame, so you can concentrate on commemorating the life of your liked one without included tension.

100% Contentment Warranty: Your total fulfillment is our leading concern. If, for any reason, you’re not fully satisfied with the memorial we develop, we will certainly deal with you till it is a fitting tribute to your loved one’s life and legacy.

Catch the essence of your enjoyed one’s life as well as create a enduring testament to their memory with our Memorial Writing Service. Currently, we are supplying a unique initial price to assist make this heartfelt service available to all that desire to recognize their loved ones in a significant way.

Don’t allow your liked one’s tale go unimaginable. Enable us to create for you with our Memorial Writing Service to aid you craft a lovely, tailored memorial that will certainly act as a enduring reminder of their life, love, as well as influence on the globe.

Get in touch with us today to read more concerning our solutions and also start the process of producing a cozy and heartfelt homage to your liked one.

Go HERE for more information.

Please like us and follow us on Facebook here.

Source link

The post Life Celebration Verse Writer Service For Residents Living Near Me Columbia Ave Riverside CA 92507 appeared first on Minds Valley.

Life Celebration Verse Writer Service In The Area of 10th St Riverside CA 92507

mindsvalley99 — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 20:06:30 +0000

Presenting the Memorial Writing Service: A Loving Tribute for Your Family Member

Following loss, words commonly fall short. The best words can bring relief, convenience, as well as peace to those who mourn, yet locating them can be an frustrating job. With our Memorial Writing Service, we comprehend the significance of honoring your liked one with a suitable tribute that captures their significance as well as commemorates the extensive effect they had on the lives of others.

Our team of thoughtful as well as skilled authors is committed to crafting customized, genuine memorials that show the one-of-a-kind uniqueness of your enjoyed one. We are right here to aid you find the excellent words to recognize their memory, developing a enduring homage that will be valued for many years ahead.

Why Pick Our Memorial Writing Service?

Individualized and also Heartfelt Memorials: Our seasoned writers will certainly work very closely with you to produce a distinctive memorial that records the significance of your loved one. By including personal anecdotes, preferred quotes, and valued memories, we guarantee your tribute will certainly be a true reflection of the love as well as appreciation you hold for them.

Revisions: We recognize that finding the best words is vital, and also we are devoted to aiding you produce a memorial that brings convenience and tranquility to your heart. That’s why we provide 2 modifications, enabling you to make any type of adjustments essential to ensure the final memorial satisfies your assumptions and also honors your enjoyed one as you planned.

Prompt Delivery: In times of grief, it is necessary to concentrate on healing as well as keeping in mind the ones we’ve lost. Our group is committed to supplying you with a perfectly crafted memorial within your specified time-frame, so you can focus on memorializing the life of your liked one without added stress and anxiety.

100% Complete satisfaction Assurance: Your total contentment is our top concern. If, for any type of reason, you’re not completely pleased with the memorial we develop, we will deal with you until it is a fitting homage to your liked one’s life as well as tradition.

Capture the essence of your liked one’s life and develop a long-term testament to their memory with our Memorial Writing Service. Now, we are offering a unique introductory price to assist make this wholehearted service easily accessible to all that wish to honor their liked ones in a purposeful means.

Do not let your liked one’s tale go untold. Permit us to create for you with our Memorial Writing Service to assist you craft a lovely, customized memorial that will serve as a long lasting tip of their life, love, and also impact on the globe.

Call us today to learn more regarding our services as well as start the procedure of creating a cozy and wholehearted tribute to your enjoyed one.

Go HERE for more information.

Please like us and follow us on Facebook here.

Source link

The post Life Celebration Verse Writer Service In The Area of 10th St Riverside CA 92507 appeared first on Minds Valley.

Life Celebration Verse Writer Service In The Area of Symphony Dr Riverside CA 92507

mindsvalley99 — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 01:08:18 +0000

Presenting the Memorial Writing Service: A Caring Homage for Your Loved One

Following loss, words usually fall short. The appropriate words can bring solace, convenience, as well as tranquility to those who grieve, however locating them can be an frustrating task. With our Memorial Writing Service, we recognize the significance of honoring your loved one with a suitable homage that captures their significance and also commemorates the profound effect they carried the lives of others.

Our team of caring as well as skilled authors is devoted to crafting personalized, sincere memorials that reflect the unique uniqueness of your liked one. We are below to assist you locate the excellent words to recognize their memory, producing a enduring homage that will certainly be treasured for several years ahead.

Why Choose Our Memorial Writing Service?

Individualized and also Heartfelt Memorials: Our skilled authors will function closely with you to create a one-of-a-kind memorial that captures the significance of your enjoyed one. By integrating personal anecdotes, favored quotes, and treasured memories, we guarantee your homage will certainly be a real reflection of the love and appreciation you hold for them.

Alterations: We understand that locating the best words is important, and we are dedicated to aiding you produce a memorial that brings comfort and peace to your heart. That’s why we offer 2 alterations, enabling you to make any kind of changes essential to make certain the last memorial meets your assumptions and honors your liked one as you meant.

Prompt Shipment: In times of sorrow, it is essential to concentrate on recovery as well as remembering the ones we have actually shed. Our group is committed to providing you with a magnificently crafted memorial within your defined time-frame, so you can focus on memorializing the life of your enjoyed one without included tension.

100% Contentment Warranty: Your complete fulfillment is our top concern. If, for any type of reason, you’re not completely satisfied with the memorial we develop, we will certainly collaborate with you up until it is a suitable tribute to your enjoyed one’s life and legacy.

Capture the significance of your enjoyed one’s life as well as develop a long lasting testimony to their memory with our Memorial Writing Service. Currently, we are using a unique introductory rate to help make this wholehearted solution obtainable to all who want to recognize their enjoyed ones in a meaningful way.

Don’t allow your loved one’s tale go unimaginable. Enable us to create for you with our Memorial Writing Service to assist you craft a lovely, customized memorial that will certainly serve as a long lasting reminder of their life, love, and also effect on the globe.

Contact us today for more information about our solutions and begin the process of creating a cozy as well as genuine tribute to your enjoyed one.

Go HERE for more information.

Please like us and follow us on Facebook here.

Source link

The post Life Celebration Verse Writer Service In The Area of Symphony Dr Riverside CA 92507 appeared first on Minds Valley.