Push for Kwanzaa to be a national holiday  

Kwanzaa celebrations kicked off recently, with organisers announcing an ambitious push to have the pan-African holiday recognised as a national holiday in Barbados by next year.

Saa-ankh Clarke, founder of the Sixth Region Movement, revealed plans to approach government officials about granting Kwanzaa the same national recognition as Christmas. 

“So what I’m hoping we can do maybe for next year is have Kwanzaa recognised as a national holiday here, the same way Christmas is,” Clarke stated during a media conference at the Haynesville Police Outpost in St James.

Beyond national holiday status, Clarke is advocating for a more radical transformation of the education system. She aims to incorporate authentic African rites and ceremonies into school curricula from kindergarten through tertiary level, making the African curriculum primary and the Westminster system secondary. 

“It’s confusing to the young people, but it’s confusing to us as elders, and that’s why you have a system where our people don’t believe who they are, don’t understand who they are, and most importantly, they do not accept who they are,” Clarke explained.

Kwanzaa which is a seven-day cultural festival, created in 1966 by Dr Maulana Karenga, runs from December 26 through January 1 and centres around the Nguzo Saba, or Seven Principles: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Clarke noted a significant demographic shift in Kwanzaa participation, with children as young as ten and 11 now actively engaged in understanding and celebrating the holiday’s meaning, compared to predominantly older generations in previous years.

Several organisations across Barbados are planning Kwanzaa programmes throughout the week, with a major celebration scheduled for January 1, 2026. The final day event, organised by Special Envoy on Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement, Trevor Prescod, will feature traditional African dance, speeches, and community outreach.

David Denny, general secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration, which joined the Haynesville Youth Club to open the programme, stressed that this year’s Kwanzaa must transcend ceremonial observance. He stressed the urgent need for regional unity to defend the Caribbean as a zone of peace and called for solidarity with struggles in Cuba, Venezuela, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Somalia, and Palestine.

“Kwanzaa is not just a festival,” Denny stated. 

“Kwanzaa is about the development of our people and being able to support working class struggles and African struggles all over the world,” he added.

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