Imani, The Seventh Principle of Kwanzaa | OneUnited Bank (2024)

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Imani, The Seventh Principle of Kwanzaa Lighting the Seventh Candle Why Invest in Your Future? What To Do Once You Start Saving Recent Articles Five Affordable Housing Hacks for College 5 Must-Do Summer Activities for Kids Love More, Your Love Language for Money It takes 5-minutes to start elevating your finances FAQs References

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Imani, The Seventh Principle of Kwanzaa

Social Justice

We must believe that our dreams are within our reach, which brings us to the seventh and most powerful principle, Imani or faith.

It may not be easy, but faith – especially during difficult times – brings us closer to making our dreams a reality.

Lighting the Seventh Candle

On the last day of Kwanzaa when we light the final candle, we celebrate Imani, or faith. That means honoring our best traditions as a family and community. We look within and above to strive for a higher level of spirituality and a better life for ourselves and for those around us. Imani reaffirms our self-worth and the confidence that we can triumph over struggle.

At OneUnited Bank, we have faith in all of you and in our community. We know we’ll do great things. We’re confident that our community will thrive and build the future that we deserve. Our staff and customers are a family and our community matters to us.

When we ask you to join the #BankBlack movement we are acknowledging that it’s a job that can’t be done alone and that there’s much work to be done. But we have faith in the mission and faith in our community to work toward the common goal of lifting each other up and demonstrating our collective economic power.

Why Invest in Your Future?

Saving money gives you more opportunities. It prepares you for the unexpected. Setting aside money for an unexpected emergency allows you to exhale. You’ll be grateful you have a financial cushion to lean on when you are facing challenges.

And more importantly, it helps you live your life debt-free. Nobody likes having bills looming over their head that they can’t afford to pay off. You’ll be able to pay off loans or monthly bills more quickly. Wouldn’t you like to have enough money to live comfortably without debt and have some fun?

You have to have faith that saving money today instead of giving in to an impulse purchase will help you out big time down the line. How do you figure out how much money to save? Well, it depends on your lifestyle and your needs. But getting an early start doesn’t hurt, regardless of whether you plan to retire or buy a home. That’s where opening a savings account and setting up an automatic savings plan come into play.

What To Do Once You Start Saving

Once you build savings, what should you do with the money?

Well first, don’t stop. Keep saving and investing your money wisely. If you have an account that accrues interest, you’ll put even more money in your pockets! And that’s a good feeling.

Here are some suggestions for good ways to use the money you’ve saved:

Contribute to help others. Money is not just about our personal needs. It’s about using our resources for a purpose. When we help others who are less fortunate, we affirm our collective responsibility to our community.
Pay off credit cards. Once you’re free of any credit card debt, you’ll be able to focus on saving even more.
Save for retirement. Take care of your future self so you can live well after you retire.
Give back to your community. If you have an overflow of funds, spread the wealth! Focus your spending power on seeking out Black owned businesses and entrepreneurs to support. Make an effort to keep your dollars circulating within your community longer. Be an active part of the #BuyBlack and #BankBlack Movement.

Never lose faith in yourself and our community. Be proud of who you are and the community you live in.

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FAQs

Imani, The Seventh Principle of Kwanzaa | OneUnited Bank? ›

We must believe that our dreams are within our reach, which brings us to the seventh and most powerful principle, Imani or faith. It may not be easy, but faith – especially during difficult times – brings us closer to making our dreams a reality.

What is the 7th principle of Kwanzaa? ›

January 1st, the 7th day of Kwanzaa, the principle is Imani, which means faith.

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What is the principle of Imani in Kwanzaa? ›

Definition: Imani focuses on the belief in the heart, mind, spirit, and righteous triumph of the African-American community's struggle. Cultural Roots: This principle has deep roots in African traditions where faith was integral to community life and resilience in the face of adversity.

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What are the 7 principles of Kwanzaa pdf? ›

Umoja (unity) Kujichagulia (self-determination) Ujima (collective work and responsibility) Ujamaa (cooperative economics) Nia (purpose) Kuumba (creativity) Imani (faith) Kwanzaa is a 7-day African-American & Pan- African holiday created by Dr.

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What is the meaning of Kwanzaa day 7? ›

Lighting the Seventh Candle

On the last day of Kwanzaa when we light the final candle, we celebrate Imani, or faith. That means honoring our best traditions as a family and community. We look within and above to strive for a higher level of spirituality and a better life for ourselves and for those around us.

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What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa Wikipedia? ›

Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the following principles, as follows: Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

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What does the Imani symbol mean? ›

The Symbol for IMANI is a combined effort of two Ancient Egyptian (Kemetic) Symbols (1) The Ankh - which symbolizes life, & (2) The Djed Pillar - Symbolizing stability & endurance. IMANI symbolizes steadfastness in our commitment to the good, the right, & the beauty in life.

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What is the first principle of Kwanzaa today? ›

1) Umoja (Unity)

The first day of Kwanzaa is focused on umoja, which stresses the importance of togetherness to reach common goals as a community. Karenga, who founded the holiday, describes unity as “active solidarity.” It's more than mutual agreement and a meeting of the minds.

What is the last day of Kwanzaa called? ›

The culmination of the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa falls on the last day, January 1st, and is known as "Imani." Swahili for "faith," Imani holds a special significance in the context of Kwanzaa, representing the principles that guide individuals and communities in their pursuits.

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What does Imani stand for? ›

Meaning:belief or faith. A traditional name with Arabic and Swahili origins, Imani means “belief” or “faith.” Imani is a very popular name throughout the Muslim world, especially in Eastern Africa. Imani comes from the word, Imam.

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What is the Imani? ›

The Foundation of Faith

The seventh principle is Imani (Faith) which is essentially a profound and enduring belief in and commitment to all that is of value to us as a family, community, people and culture. Faith is put forth as the last principle as unity is put forth as the first principle for a definite reason.

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Does Imani mean faith? ›

Imani is an Arabic name that means "faith" or "belief" and is a relatively popular name in the Muslim world. The word imani also means "faith" in Swahili.

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What are the 7 principles of Kwanzaa explained? ›

Maulana Karenga), or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba--the seven principles of African Heritage): Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (purpose), Kuumba (creativity), and Imani (faith), and their definitions, next to a ...

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What is the 7th symbol of Kwanzaa? ›

' The seven candles (Mishumaa Saba): These represent the seven principles of Kwanzaa - unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. ' The gifts (Zawadi): Presents symbolize parents' love and labor of parents and the commitments of children.

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What does ujima mean? ›

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)

To build and maintain our community together and make our community's problems our problems and to solve them together.

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What does umoja mean? ›

Umoja (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

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What is the meaning of Kuumba? ›

To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. The seven vibrations of divine creation - the Dogon symbol of creativity.

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What is the purpose of the NIA in Kwanzaa? ›

On the fifth day of Kwanzaa we light the candle representing the principle Nia, or purpose. It encourages us to look within to not only set personal goals, but also to choose goals that benefit our community. We believe that financial strength is critical to building a successful future for the Black community.

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What are the seven principles of Nguzo Saba? ›

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