A Rugrats Kwanzaa facts for kids

"A Rugrats Kwanzaa" is a special episode from the animated TV show Rugrats. It's the 13th episode of the seventh season. This episode teaches about Kwanzaa through the eyes of toddler Susie Carmichael.

During a visit from her great-aunt T., Susie and her friends—Tommy Pickles, Chuckie, Kimi Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille—learn about Kwanzaa. Susie feels sad because she thinks everyone else in her family has done great things, but she hasn't. Aunt T. helps Susie by sharing old memories from a scrapbook. By the end of the episode, Susie realizes she has lots of time to find her own special talents.

Anthony Bell directed this episode. The story was written by Lisa D. Hall, Jill Gorey, and Barbara Herndon. Nickelodeon created this episode to show different cultures in its TV shows. Rugrats was one of the first popular TV shows to feature Kwanzaa. Critics compared it to similar holiday episodes from As Told by Ginger and The Proud Family. "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" first aired on December 11, 2001. A picture book called The Rugrats' First Kwanzaa was made based on the episode.

Critics liked "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" for how it showed the Kwanzaa holiday. They also praised the voice acting. Cree Summer, who voices Susie, was even nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her role!

What Happens in the Episode

Susie Learns About Kwanzaa

Toddler Susie Carmichael gets a visit from her great-aunt T. on Christmas. Aunt T. wants to celebrate Kwanzaa with Susie's family. This includes her parents, Lucy and Randy, and her older siblings, Alisa, Buster, and Edwin. The Carmichaels don't usually celebrate Kwanzaa, so Susie has never heard of it.

Aunt T. explains that Kwanzaa is a holiday to honor their family's history. It celebrates the great things their ancestors did. Susie's friends, including Tommy Pickles, Chuckie, Kimi Finster, and Phil and Lil DeVille, are invited to join the Kwanzaa fun.

Susie Feels Left Out

Aunt T. praises Susie's family for their achievements. This makes Susie feel like she isn't as special as them. Aunt T. decides to start the Karamu (a Kwanzaa feast) early to bring everyone together. She gives presents to Susie and her siblings. Susie is a bit disappointed to get a scrapbook.

Susie doesn't get a special job in the family's Kwanzaa preparations. This makes her think she's not as good as her family because she's never won an award.

Finding Her Own Greatness

With encouragement from the other babies, Susie tries to be like her siblings. She tries acting like a class president. She also tries doing science experiments and playing soccer. But Susie isn't good at these things. Tommy tells her to find something special that is just for her.

Susie tries to make a clay sculpture of her head as a gift for Aunt T. It doesn't turn out well. But Aunt T. reminds Susie that being great isn't about winning prizes. During a power outage, Aunt T. uses the scrapbook to share her memories. She tells the children about meeting Martin Luther King Jr. with her husband Charles. This happened while they were driving to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Aunt T. also shares a story about Lucy. Lucy sang "This Little Light of Mine" as her first solo in church. She was very scared but sang anyway. Lucy says Aunt T. is one of the greatest people she knows. She remembers how Aunt T. helped her pay for Harvard Medical School. When the power comes back on, the family has dinner. Susie makes a toast with her clay sculpture. Aunt T. tells Susie that she will discover her own greatness later in life.

Making the Episode

Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Martin Luther King Jr. in the episode.

This 23-minute episode was written by Lisa D. Hall, Jill Gorey, and Barbara Herndon. Anthony Bell directed it. The episode was also known as "A Rugrats Kwanzaa Special."

Nickelodeon wanted to show different cultures in its shows. Marjorie Cohn, a senior vice president at Nickelodeon, said Rugrats was the perfect show for a Kwanzaa episode. The series had already done specials for Christmas and Hanukkah. Nickelodeon's president, Cyma Zarghami, said the network wanted kids on their shows to look like the kids watching. She explained that "Diversity is something we celebrate every day."

Irma P. Hall, who played Aunt T., praised Rugrats for teaching more people about Kwanzaa. She often talked about the holiday with her friends who weren't Black. Hall said that learning about different holidays helps us see that "we are more alike than different." Other guest voices in the episode included Kevin Michael Richardson as Martin Luther King Jr. Kimberly Brooks voiced a younger Lucy Carmichael. Bill Cobbs played Uncle Charles.

Mental Floss magazine said Rugrats was one of the first popular TV shows to focus on Kwanzaa. Critics compared "A Rugrats Kwanzaa" to episodes from As Told by Ginger and The Proud Family. These shows also aired Kwanzaa-themed episodes in the same year. An Associated Press writer noted that these episodes helped bring attention to the holiday.