I know this is politically incorrect and almost taboo to talk about in polite company, but when are we going to start recognizing Kwanzaa for what it is? Let me be blunt: Kwanzaa is not some ancient African celebration. It’s not even close. Kwanzaa was the brainchild of Ron Karnenga in 1966. That’s right, 1966, barely more than 40 years ago. And who was this Ron Karenga?

Dr. Maulana Karenga (real name Ron Everett) was head of the violent hate-the-white-man group called United Slaves Organization. This was a rival organization of the Black Panthers. In 1969, the Republic of New Africa, another radical group aligned with the Black Panthers, accused Karenga of taking part in the killing of two Black Panther members at UCLA. They invited Karenga to appear before their board to tell his side of the story. He failed to show up and was booted from the organization. They stated in a letter to Black Panther Bobby Seale that “Ron Karenga represented a great deal less than the best interests of the Black Liberation struggle.” That ended up being an understatement.

Just a few years later, in the 1970s, Ron . . . uh, Maulana, kidnapped two of his own female followers, stripped them naked, whipped them with electrical cords and beat them with a karate baton. He then placed a hot soldering iron in one of his victim’s mouth, scarring her face, and then put her toes in a vise and poured detergent in both their mouths. He was convicted of this heinous crime and spent four years in prison. That, my friends, is the father of Kwanzaa.

He admitted to The Washington Post in 1978 that he dreamed the whole Kwanzaa celebration up and put it around Christmas because “I knew that’s when a lot of bloods would be partying.” There’s a laudable reason to celebrate.

So, what happened to ole Ronnie boy? What else when you’re convicted of torturing women? He became a professor, but, not just any professor. He became the head of the Department of Black Studies at California State University in Long Beach.

Now, let’s review. Kwanzaa was started by a black separatist who hated white folks, tortured women and was accused of killing two of his black brothers. He cleverly placed his new holiday around Christmas because that was, he figured, when most black folks were partying. How nice.

Flash forward 40 years and your and my children are singing Kwanzaa songs in school and the president is saluting it with a presidential proclamation. How did we allow this to happen? Because we’re scared sheep, that’s how. Because good people, black and white, are choosing to remain silent while this bogus holiday gets a toehold on legitimacy.

Let me ask you something. If David Duke came up with a celebration of white culture, that taught white people to appreciate their white roots and he called it Klanzaa, do you think we’d be singing Klanzaa songs in our schools? No, I don’t either.

I don’t get offended by much, but I’m outraged that we don’t call this celebration what it is. The politically correct have so dominated the culture over the last few years that ordinarily outspoken Americans have been shamed into remaining quiet. This is my annual crusade. I will continue to tell the truth each year about Kwanzaa and force the PC crowd to defend it. Let’s stamp out racism in our lifetime. Let’s start with equal intolerance for black racists and the fruits of their labor as we have for white racists.

The truth shall set you free.

Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.