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