SMH: Wisconsin Senator Says Only “White Left-Wingers” Give An Ish About Kwanzaa

January 2nd, 2013 - By MN Editor

 

AP images

AP images

From BlackVoices

Wisconsin state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) slammed Kwanzaa, claiming “almost no black people” care about the holiday.

“Almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa — just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people’s throats in an effort to divide Americans,” Grothman said in a press release, according to Patch.

“Why must we still hear about Kwanzaa?” Grothman asked. “Why are hard-core left wingers still trying to talk about Kwanzaa — the supposed African-American holiday celebration between Christmas and New Year’s?”

Grothman slammed “irresponsible public school districts” in Wisconsin for trying “to tell a new generation that blacks have a separate holiday than Christians.” His comments were heavily criticized, with one Democratic party leader calling the remarks “absolutely jaw-dropping.”

Read the rest at BlackVoices

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  • Dee

    There was a huge emphasis on kwanza when i was younger, but now not so much

  • Na Na

    I for one celebrate Kwanzaa whole heartily …..my family and friends however look at me like I’m crazy or trying to be Kunta Kente. Unfortunately he has somewhat of a point about Africans and Blacks not embracing Kwanzaa.

  • Mrs.A

    I’m so sick of these racist white male pigs…always trying to justify there hatred of minorities with propaganda that makes no sense. If you don’t like kwanzaa then don’t celebrate it. Period. Ignorance is bliss. Why do we even give idiots like this a platform to spew there hate???People please continue to vote because we have to get these racist out of our congress.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/thesapphireempress96?feature=results_main A.J.

    Christians can celebrate Kwanzaa too; it’s a cultural holiday, not a religious one. My family are Christians and we celebrate Kwanzaa, as it doesn’t diminish or take away from the true meaning of Christmas. He’s just showing his own ignorance and hatred.

    • Dee

      do you feel weird that Kawanzaa is sort of a made up holiday?

      • http://www.youtube.com/user/thesapphireempress96?feature=results_main A.J.

        Not really, because I understand the story behind it. At the time, it helped a lot of Black people take pride in their roots. I know that Dr. Maulana Karenga intended the holiday to be a way for Black people to get back in touch with their roots, and to focus on solidarity, both within the family and within their communities. Although it may not have been an historical holiday, it was relevant at the time, and remains relevant today. The problem is that people still don’t understand all that’s behind it. Also, there are plenty of real made-up holidays that don’t get as much negative reactions, such as “Festivus” and “Chrismukkah” (popularized by “Seinfeld” and “The O.C.” respectively).

  • Kay

    This is true though… kwanza is a meaningless holiday. I don’t even know when kwanza is or what it’s purpose is or how the hellll you celebrate it. That doesn’t make me less of a proud black women its just the unequivocal truth

  • Live_in_LDN

    “Why must we still hear about Kwanzaa?”
    Oh tell me about it brother! I’m so sick of my favourite tv shws being interrupted by thse pesky kwanza commercials and those annoying kwana jingles clogging up my airwaves. You can’t move for kwanza noise!

  • nick

    Are we mad because he shouldnt have said it or becuase he’s kinda sorta right??.. This aint important enough to dwell on!

  • janice

    To compare is not to improve.

  • kierah

    He’s speaking out of ignorance. He doesn’t understand the difference between a cultural holiday and a religious holiday.

    I don’t understand why his comments were so jaw-dropping. It doesn’t shock me at all that some white folks don’t understand a single thing that doesn’t have to do with themselves.

  • http://twitter.com/oHIo_Liliann Liliann

    While I don’t agree with the way he said it I will say this, the first time I heard about Kwanzaa I was in the first grade and we were learning about holidays. I was the only Black student in my class and my teacher asked me in front of the entire class if I celebrated Kwanzaa. I was confused and asked my mom if we celebrated Kwanzaa when I got home ,she told me to tell my teacher “we are Christians and we celebrate Christmas”. When done improperly learning about celebrations can be divisive, and create more confusion. However It is unfair and arrogant for him to assume that he knows enough about the 5 Black people who live in West Bend, Wisconsin to make that assumption.

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