| As we celebrate Kwanzaa this year and every | | | | they can return to bring back their talents |
| year, let's also remember the 7 principles of | | | | |
| Kwanzaa and how they can help to build, | | | | to cause the economy to grow, study to |
| sustain and revive the communities affected | | | | become doctors, and engineer power supplies, |
| by the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I and | | | | cars, sewing machines, and other tools to |
| others that I know have special ties with New | | | | stimulate our communities to life.Ujamaa |
| Orleans after being raised in southeast Texas | | | | means Cooperative Economics, where we put our |
| - with New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles | | | | pennies together to make dollars, dollars to |
| and other cities in Lousiana being a stones | | | | make hundreds, thousands and millions - |
| throw away from our back yard. As such I feel | | | | sooner than if we all went our separate |
| that the 7 principles of Kwanzaa need to be | | | | ways.Nia in english means Purpose - why we |
| an essential part of rebuilding the | | | | are all together in this one place, in this |
| communities of our next door neighbors as a | | | | one country, on this continent, this planet, |
| true testament to the spirit of | | | | this galaxy - to have a single purpose. |
| Kwanzaa.Habari gani, the daily greeting is | | | | Together.Kuumba is creativity - creating |
| Swahili for 'What is the News' - to keep our | | | | bricks without straw, feeding families on |
| community's collective mind on the rebuilding | | | | bread and peanut butter, teaching children |
| of the communities affected by the | | | | with paper, pencil and wisdom. Rebuilding a |
| hurricanes. So that they are not forgotten in | | | | community that was once a group of people |
| our prayers and efforts as we go about our | | | | together from nothing.Imani is Faith - 'The |
| daily lives and that their lives are returned | | | | Just shall live by faith'. Live and keep |
| to them. Our people throught history have | | | | going when you have nothing but you own life |
| weathered many times where communities were | | | | to show that you are alive. 'Now faith is the |
| | | | substance of things hoped for, the evidence |
| destroyed by natural and unnatural forces | | | | of things unseen'. We have to have hope that |
| and we have always returned and rebuilt to | | | | our communities can be rebuilt, and see them |
| become better and brighter.Umoja means Unity | | | | being rebuilt even when there may not be |
| and that one word signifies the strength of | | | | anyone listening to our cries of help to |
| what has given us the means of rebuilding, | | | | rebuild.If ever the principles of Kwanzaa |
| reinforcing and reinventing our communities | | | | have more meaning and need to be not only |
| from ashes, whirlwinds, floods, wars and | | | | recited but practiced, rehearsed and applied |
| other types of destruction.Kujichagulia means | | | | it is in this year when those 7 principles |
| Self-Determination, the spirit that survives | | | | seem to be needed the most.Daviyd Peterson: |
| when everything else has been taken away by | | | | 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer |
| whatever means. The same spirit that uses | | | | |
| broken bricks, even bricks without straw to | | | | of digital divide solutions for home and |
| build again and again to give our children a | | | | business. |
| community to grow up and foster their own | | | | |
| spirit of Self-Determination.Ujima means | | | | Helps African American and minority SME |
| Collective Work, when carpenters live with | | | | bridge the digital |
| bakers and seamstresses who feed and clothe | | | | |
| them while they build one home at a time | | | | divide by becoming wireless Small Business |
| until a community is reborn. Bankers live | | | | Enterprises |
| with engineers, students, and nurses who heal | | | | |
| wounds and bring them back to health - when | | | | Offices (SBEs). |