One holiday tradition my mom always wanted to do with us but never did is celebrate Kwanzaa. She did educate me on what it is and what everything means, but we never got around to ever doing it. But now that I’m starting my own family, I wanted to do celebrate this year (even if Toddler won’t remember it) That way we’ll be ready to celebrate it the way we should when Toddler is bigger.
So, for 2024 I decided to celebrate Kwanzaa through literature again. I’ll be listing the principles for each day along with a book that matches the principles. If you can think of other titles that match the principles, tell me, I’d love to discuss.
Day 4 is Ujamaa. It means Cooperative Economics. The process is much of the same, light the previous candles, and then light the last red one and they should all be lit. The person who lights it then makes a statement about Cooperative Economics. This year my statement is on Paid Opportunities. I have been in this space for a long time and I never thought about getting paid since I’m a librarian. But I never thought about getting paid in other ways. My newest one is the paint by numbers kit with Essy Wessy. It just so happens that’s an activity I can do while audiobooking, so I immediately love it. So this year I’m looking for more opportunities like this to be able to get to do since I feel weird about getting paid for bookish things and I do what I do for a living**. There’s other avenues out there and this year I’m looking for them! (My dream right now is to work with a Black owned business. So, if you’re a Black owned business and you need ambassadors or something for your like book sleeves or something, HIT ME UP!)
The book I thought about first when thinking of keeping
the Black Dollar in Black Businesses or just being
smart about economics in general:
I thought of Soledad because she went through some SHIT because of her ex, but she did the hardest thing and pulled herself up by the bootstraps. She became a social media star and wasn’t even trying. And what better way to support Cooperative Economics than to support Black Businesses? Whether or not they’re content creators or a common, everyday business, we should support them. I was glad Soledad felt more comfortable with herself and the way her life was then as the book went on. She deserved that and more. And omg, the new boo is a financial advisor. It was only right that I used this book!
What about you? What books do you think of when you think of Ujamaa or Cooperative Economics? Do you think of this one as well? Let me know in the comments!
**If you don’t know what I do for a living, I am the person that chooses what books go in my library system. I don’t ever want there to be a question on why I chose what book, so I’ve never been one to go out for or apply for anything that would give me real money. I have never accepted anything other than an ARC for my time reading or reviewing anything.