Juneteenth Facts: Raise Your Flags!

Published: June 20, 2022

Pan African Flag

Date of Creation/Adoption: 1920

Creator: Marcus Garvey

Symbolism:

Each color of the flag represents something different:

Red (1st stripe) - the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry and shed for liberation.
Black (2nd stripe) - the people whose existence as a nation, though not a nation-state, is affirmed by the existence of the flag.
Green (3rd & final stripe) - the abundant and vibrant natural wealth of Africa, the Motherland.

History:

The Pan-African flag is a representation of freedom for Black Americans.
This flag was created to give Black people in America and the world over a symbol that unifies the African Diaspora.
It is a reminder that despite the progress made, there is still a long road to equity.
The Pan-African flag, has also been called the Marcus Garvey, UNIA, Afro-American or Black Liberation flag
The banner was adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) at a conference in New York City in 1920.

Date of Creation/Adoption: 1977

Creator: Ben Haith

Symbolism:

Each symbol on the flag represents something different:

Star - dual symbolism for Texas, "The Lone Star State, which is the state where the last remaining slaves were freed from bondage AND also meant to represent African-American freedom throughout the 50 states
Burst - inspired by novas, which is the process from which new stars are born. A nova on the Juneteenth flag is meant to show a new beginning for African-Americans
Arc - Meant as a new horizon, which means future opportunities
The colors of the flag, red, white, and blue, pay homage to the American flag, as slaves and their descendants are still Americans.

History:

Donnella, Leah. “On Flag Day, Remembering The Red, Black And Green.” NPR, NPR, 14 June 2017, www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/06/14/532667081/on-flag-day-remembering-the-red-black-and-green.
Gault, Alex. “Watertown Raises Pan-African Flag to Commemorate Juneteenth for First Time.” NNY360, 21 June 2021, https://web.archive.org/web/20210815174344/https://www.nny360.com/news/jeffersoncounty/watertown-raises-pan-african-flag-to-commemorate-juneteenth-for-first-time/article_f6621b44-9a6a-5dde-bd37-4712f6e53482.html.
Illsley, C.L. “What Does the Pan-African Flag Look like?” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 12 July 2018, https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-does-the-pan-african-flag-look-like.html.
Kaur, Harmeet. “The Juneteenth Flag Is Full of Symbols. Here's What They Mean.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 June 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/19/us/juneteenth-flag-meaning-explainer-trnd/index.html.