Five Things You May Not Know About Kwanzaa (Newsela)

Who was the founder of Kwanzaa, and a major figure of the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 1970s?

• Malcom X

• Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Maulana Karenga

• John Lewis

Karenga wanted to bring people together after which event in 1965?

• the Watts riots in Los Angeles

• the Civil Rights Act

• the Vietnam War

• the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the Watts race riots?

• 34 deaths

• a change in California law

• $40 million in property damage

• 3,000 arrests

How old is Kwanzaa?

• more than 50 years old

• less than 50 years old

• 100 years old

• 25 years old

Kwanzaa was created to unite and empower which community after the Watts race riots?

• Asian-Americans

• Latin-Americans

• African-Americans

• Jewish-Americans

"Kwanzaa" comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which means:

• "light first"

• "dark power"

• "mighty people"

• "first fruits"

Why does "Kwanzaa" have an extra 'a' at the end?

• the extra 'a' stands for Africa

• at the first-ever celebration, there were seven children that wanted to represent a letter (K-W-A-N-Z-A-A)

• the extra 'a' gives additional emphasis

• it was a nod to his great-grandmother

True or False: Kwanzaa is an alternative to Christmas, and African-Americans are not expected to celebrate both.

• True

• False

True or False: Non-blacks are allowed to celebrate Kwanzaa.

• True

• False

Which of the following is NOT one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa?

• unity

• self-determination

• individual economics

• faith