Growing up, my family always celebrated Kwanzaa, which runs from December 26th to January 1st. Anyone can celebrate it because it’s an intention-based week of celebration. Each of the seven days is rooted in a principle meant to guide how we live, build, and care for one another — in our families, in our communities, and as a people.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, in response to the Watts Riots in Los Angeles. He based it on African harvest festival traditions to celebrate Black culture, strengthen community, and encourage values like unity, responsibility, creativity, faith, and purpose.
Each day has a Swahili name, and each principle isn’t just symbolic — it’s meant to be actively practiced. In film and television, some stories embody these values so strongly that the principle itself drives the narrative, not just representation. The following list highlights five of the best TV shows and movies for each day of Kwanzaa, chosen because the value is clear, positive, and practiced onscreen.
Day 1: Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
- ‘Black-ish’ (TV) – The Johnson family consistently centers togetherness, generational dialogue, and cultural unity.
- ‘Soul Food’ (1997) – Family tradition and unity are the heart of the story.
- ‘The Best Man’ (1999) – Chosen family learning how to stay connected through life’s changes.
- ‘Crooklyn’ (1994) – Community, childhood, and familial bonds holding everything together.
- ‘Boyz n the Hood’ (1991) – A portrait of Black family and neighborhood unity as both protection and survival in the face of systemic violence.
Why it works: Unity is practiced, repaired, and protected.
Day 2: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define and name ourselves, and to create and speak for ourselves.
- ‘Pariah’ (2011) – Self-definition without compromise.
- ‘Malcolm X’ (1992) – Self-definition through naming, belief, and purpose.
- Atlanta (2016–2022) – Earn and Paper Boi carve their own paths, defining success on their terms.
- ‘American Fiction’ (2023) – A sharp look at who gets to define Black stories — and what it means to reclaim authorship from stereotype-driven systems.
- Moonlight (2016) – Chiron’s journey is about claiming identity and living authentically on his own terms.
Why it works: Identity is claimed, not assigned.
Day 3: Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and solve problems collectively.
- ‘The Wire’ (2002–2008) – Institutions and neighborhoods unite to solve shared problems.
- ‘Hidden Figures’ (2016) – Black women mathematicians work collectively to achieve breakthroughs at NASA.
- ‘Remember the Titans’ (2000) – Teamwork and collective accountability transform a high school football program.
- ‘Queen Sugar’ (2016–2022) – The Bordelon family and community take responsibility to protect their legacy and support each other.
- ‘Abbott Elementary’ (TV) – Teachers share responsibility for their students and school.
- ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ (2006) – Mentorship and community investment fuel success.
Why it works: Success is communal, not solo.
Day 4: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own businesses and profit together.
- ‘The Banker’ (2020) – Strategic Black wealth-building used to uplift the community.
- ‘Barbershop’ (2002) – Black ownership as an economic and cultural anchor.
- ‘Coming to America’ (1988) — Celebrates dignity of work, small Black-owned businesses, and choosing shared prosperity over inherited wealth.
- ‘40 Acres’ (2024) – Land ownership and generational economic protection as survival and legacy.
- ‘Living Single’ (TV, 1993–1998) – Black professionals building independent careers, creative spaces, and economic autonomy in community.
Why it works: Ownership is framed as power, not aesthetics.
Day 5: Nia (Purpose)
To build and develop our community to restore our people to their greatness.
- ‘The Great Debaters’ (2007) – Education as collective purpose.
- ‘Coach Carter’ (2005) – Leadership rooted in accountability and vision.
- Selma (2014) – The march from Selma to Montgomery is driven by a singular collective purpose: securing voting rights and advancing civil rights for the Black community.
- ‘A Different World’ (TV, 1987–1993) – Higher education as community uplift.
- Dolemite Is My Name’ (2019) – Purpose through cultural contribution.
Why it works: Purpose is bigger than personal success.
Day 6: Kuumba (Creativity)
To leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
- ‘Insecure’ (TV) – Creative expression reshaping modern Black storytelling.
- ‘Daughters of the Dust’ (1991) – Cultural preservation through art.
- ‘Soul’ (2020) – Creativity as a gift meant to be shared, not hoarded.
- ‘School Daze’ (1988) – Students use music and activism to uplift their campus and community.
- ‘Black Panther’ (2018) – Wakanda’s innovations and culture strengthen the nation and leave a lasting legacy.
- Pose (2018–2021) – Ballroom culture and performance reshape community and celebrate creative reinvention.
Why it works: The art itself is the offering.
Day 7: Imani (Faith)
To believe in our people, our leaders, and the righteousness of our struggle.
More explicitly faith-centered and hopeful:
- God Friended Me (2018–2020) – Faith and belief guide connection, purpose, and helping others.
- ‘The Color Purple’ (1985) – Faith in God, self, and eventual restoration.
- ‘The Preacher’s Wife’ (1996) – Spiritual faith strengthening family and community.
- ‘Greenleaf’ (TV) – Faith, belief, and leadership tested but centered.
- The Lion King (1994) – Spiritual faith in ancestors and rightful leadership supports Simba’s return.
Why it works: Faith is active, sustaining, and future-facing.