Meaning of kujichagulia | Babel Free

Definitions

self-determination (in the context of African-American culture)

uncountable

Examples

“On Tuesday night at the Club Serene in Brooklyn, Mayor Koch proclaimed Kwanzaa Week in New York. Then he told the crowd of about 400 that he had practiced his Swahili in order to pronounce correctly such exotic-sounding words as kujichagulia (self-determination), ujamaa (cooperative economics) and imani (faith), the theme of Kwanzaa '83.”

“On the second day of Kwanzaa, we practice Kujichagulia, the principle of self-determination. This principle highlights for the NC State community what it means to define, name, create and speak for ourselves.”

“[Professor Macheo] Payne said. "It’s going to soil and spoil the kujichagulia of Juneteenth. ... It’s going to feel like it’s theirs, too."”

CEFR level