The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza",
meaning "first fruits". The choice of Swahili, an East African
language, reflects its status as a symbol of Pan-Africanism, especially
in the 1960s, though most African-Americans have West African ancestry.
- - - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

The Swahili Language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swahili_language
It is the Sub-Saharan African language with the most speakers and has
become a 'lingua franca' for East Africa and surrounding areas.

Lingua Franca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_franca
Arabic influenced African sub-Saharan languages, east African
languages, such as Swahili. Swahili was used along Trading and Slave
Routes.

IIRC - Long before the Europeans arrived on the West African side of
the African Continent : The Arab {Islamic} Slave Traders had been doing
'thier business' for centuries. The primary language of the Arab
{Islamic} Slave Traders for doing of 'their business' throughout Africa
was Swahili and in-fact the Lingua Franca of the Arab {Islamic} Slave
Traders was Swahili. Please Note - That the Arab {Islamic} Slave
Traders are still doing 'their business' in Africa to this very day.

SO WHY WOULD ANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN DESCENDANT
OF A SLAVE WANT TO USE THE SWAHILI LANGUAGE AS
A MEANS OF GLORIFYING PAN-AFRICAN-AMERICANISM ?

it boggles the mind ~ RHF