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The internet is clowning Vice President Kamala Harris for her recent Kwanzaa celebration video.
On Dec. 26, Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Black female Vice President, took to Twitter with a video that captured her wishing Black American’s a happy Kwanzaa. Sitting alongside her husband, second gentleman Dough Emhoff, Harris recalled fond memories of celebrating the holiday with her family as a child.
“Growing up, Kwanzaa was always a special time – we came together with generations of friends and family and neighbors,” Harris, 58, said.
“There were never enough chairs, so my sister and I and the other children would often sit on the floor, and together we lit the candles of the kinara, and then the elders would talk about how Kwanzaa is a time to celebrate culture, community and family, and they, of course, taught us about the seven principles.”
Harris shared that her favorite principle as a child was the second principle, kujichagulia, or self-determination, which she called “a deeply American principle” and one that guides her “every day as Vice President.”
After the video went viral, social media users went in on Harris, with some noting how the video felt “performative.”
“Do you have any pics from past celebrations Kamala?!?! I’d love some inspiration!” one user wrote in the comment section of The Shade Room, who reposted the video on Instagram. “She know damn well she ain’t celebrate Kwanzaa,” another person joked.
Black Twitter also chimed in on the conversation.
What is Kwanzaa?
Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African American culture that begins Dec. 26 and ends Jan. 1. According to the official Kwanzaa website, Dr. Maulana Karenga, an influential professor of Africana studies at California State University created Kwanzaa in 1966 during the Black Freedom Movement. The holiday is said to derive from some of Africa’s first harvest celebrations.
Each color symbolizes the roots of Africa’s rich culture. According to the website, the black candle symbolizes the people, the red candle symbolizes their struggle, and the green represents the future and hope that comes from their struggle. During the holiday, the black, red, and green candles are lit on the kinara, a candle holder.
Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden also shared a message for those celebrating Kwanzaa. Listen to what they had to say down below.
Do you feel like Biden and Harris were putting up a front? Tell us in the comments section.
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