The Black Candle

Maya Angelou traces the growth of Kwanzaa from the Black Power Movement in the 1960s and celebrates African-American triumphs, culture, and community.

Review from Medium

The Black Candle is a documentary that tells the story about how Kwanzaa was developed, and how it turned into something that we celebrate today. The film argues that Kwanzaa is far more than a “Black Christmas.” Instead, it is a celebration of family, community, culture, and an intentional reclaiming of African heritage that many African Americans were never taught to understand.

The documentary opens by challenging the misconception that being “Black” and being “African” are entirely separate identities. Black people say they know hardly anything about their culture, because they weren’t taught. One person calls it a “cultural crisis” and references Kiri Davis’s short film A Girl Like Me, in which children still choose the white doll as “good” fifty years after the original doll test, showing how underrepresentation impacts the black community. It was impactful hearing about the 3 colors of Kwanzaa. How the red represents our ancient and beautiful struggle. The black represents our people, and Green is the land.

Kwanzaa is presented as both a cultural remedy and a spiritual anchor. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith), and are woven throughout the film, showing how Black and African people use the seven principles in everyday life, and how they can impact us. Umoja is the family unit, and tells people that “one person cannot make it alone.” Kujichagulia recalls the era when Black Americans reclaimed their identity by renaming themselves and rejecting imposed labels. Ujima and Ujamaa highlight the responsibility to uplift one’s community, recycle resources, and build Black economic strength. The documentary even argues that the spirit of Kwanzaa was visible in real crises — such as Hurricane Katrina — when Black people helped strangers with no expectation of repayment.

Read the rest of the review from Madison here...