The article deals with the history of Maulana Karenga and his creation of the Black Nationalist philosophy Kawaida and the organization US. The US organization was founded in 1965 and is part of the Black Power movement. Based upon the idea that the liberation of black people could not occur before a cultural awakening had taken place, US focused on the need to create a connection to Africa in cultural and religious matters. Kawaida, created for this purpose, evolved to include both ethical and religious teachings that rejected Islam and Christianity – particularly the idea of submission to a higher God. US also developed a highly hierarchical structure, with Karenga as its leader, and rituals to reinforce their beliefs. These beliefs included apocalyptic visions of a coming civil war that would in the end only amount to conflicts with other black nationalists. While small in numbers, the influence of the US organization has been significant, given its role e.g. in the creation of Kwanzaa, and in the emergence of Afrocentricity.