Asante, Jr. and featuring Chuck D. The first Kwanzaa stamp, designed by Synthia Saint James, was issued by the United States Post Office in 1997, and in the same year Bill Clinton gave the first presidential declaration marking the holiday. "The Black Candle," as befits the title, has a dark, heavy atmosphere and a couple of terribly violent scenes. The Black Candle 1h 11min | Documentary | 4 January 2009 (UK) A documentary about the struggle and triumph of African-American family, community, and culture, using Kwanzaa as a vehicle to celebrate the African-American experience. BY CARLOTTA MORROW Courtesy of Christocentric Press Editor’s Note: There are not many Kwanzaa movies that have been widely released. Narrated by the poet Maya Angelou and directed by author and filmmaker M. K. Asante , The Black Candle is about the struggle and triumph of African-American family, community, and culture. The Black Candle uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. The Black Candle is a landmark, vibrant documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. It's good, but not great; we're used to only the best coming across the pond. This is good, but it's not Masterpiece Theatre. Maya Angelou narrated a documentary film about Kwanzaa, The Black Candle, written and directed by M.K.