All About the Red-Black-Green Flag of Pan-African Pride
The red-black-green flag we're highlighting today is the Pan-African flag, an important symbol of Black culture for members of the African diaspora, including African Americans.
With its bold red, black and green stripes, the Black Liberation flag has appeared in some of the most pivotal social justice events and still remains an emblem of equality in today's political landscape.
History of the Red, Black and Green Pan-African Flag
Like the LGBTQ rainbow pride flag, the Pan-African flag, sometimes called the Afro-American flag, represents an ideology, not a nation-state.
It was also called the "Marcus Garvey flag" in the early 20th century, named after the Jamaican political activist and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA).
In August of 1920, Marcus Garvey and other founders of the UNIA organization responded to a racist song that argued that every race had a flag except Black Americans. The group began work to quickly rebut this blatant racism and provide Black citizens with powerful symbols to celebrate their heritage.
After a monthlong convention in Harlem, the group formally adopted a design to encourage Black solidarity and unite Black people of African descent in an ideological movement called Pan-Africanism. One flag was created to promote unity for all African people.
What Do the Colors of the Pan-African Flag Represent?
Each of the three colors of the Pan-African flag has its own specific meaning and symbolism:
Red represents the blood of enslaved people and the continued subjugation of citizens with African ancestry.
Black stands for Black liberation and freedom for all members of the African diaspora who were forcefully removed from Africa to work in America and other colonizing countries of the world.
Green represents the abundant natural wealth of the land, including tons of gold, minerals, oil and historical artifacts stolen from nearly every country on the African continent.
The flag is now a familiar symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement, which reignited the fight for equality and justice in response to the police-related deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and George Floyd in the 2010s and 2020.
The UNIA and African Communities League
Marcus Garvey did more than just create the UNIA flag; by the early 1920s, he had established over 700 UNIA branches in 38 states.
Although other Black community leaders scoffed at Garvey's ultimate vision of establishing a unified African empire with him as the provincial leader as an egotistical pipe dream, the UNIA and its symbolism provided a foundational channel for grassroots networking and hope for future Black Americans.
In 1923, Garvey was indicted for fraud and embezzlement and deported in 1927 following President Calvin Coolidge's pardon. Although the UNIA never recovered, other organizations like the Black Liberation Movement rose up to take the mantle and continue the fight for equality.
7 Countries with Red, Black and Green Flags
Many African nations that gained independence in the 20th century used red, black and green colors to align their national symbol with the ideals of the original UNIA flag.
Azawad
Biafra (1967-1970)
Kenya
Malawi
Martinique
South Sudan
Now That's Athletic
Black history is full of heroes who bravely stood up to racism, bigotry and violence to lay the foundation for future generations to thrive. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson is remembered as one of the all-time greats, not just based on his incredible speed and skill but also for his steadfast stoicism in response to racism. But did you know that Jackie wasn't the only world-class athlete in the family? His older brother, Matthew "Mack" Robinson, was a field and track star who won the 200-meter dash silver medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany — coming in second to another famous pioneering athlete, Jesse Owens.
Original article: All About the Red-Black-Green Flag of Pan-African Pride
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