during the early years of kwanzaa, karenga said that it was meant to be an alternative to christmas, that jesus was psychotic, and that christianity was a white religion that black people should shun. however, as kwanzaa became more popular, karenga changed his position so that practicing christians could also feel included. he stated in the 1997 "kwanzaa: a celebration of family, community, and culture", "kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."