Black, Red, & Green
The Colors of the Pan-African flag represent Black liberation and resistance. Marcus Garvey believed we needed a flag representing our political agenda.
Red symbolizes the blood of all Black people who’d died fighting for liberation. Black was for Black people and pride. Green marked fertile energies living within Africa that, even after enslavement, still tether us to African soil.
Maroon
Maroon is a very important part of our history, but not in the way you’d think. Maroons’ were enslaved runaways who formed large societies out of reach from their enslavers.
Maroons could be found throughout the African Diaspora. They led powerful, successful revolts. Wearing maroon can be a way to honor this history.
Purple
Lavender was politicized by author Alice Walker, who stated, “Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender.”
Walker’s metaphor criticizes the feminist movement centering white womanhood. A “womanist” is a Black feminist committed to the wellness of all humanity, regardless of gender.
Haint Blue
Enslaved Africans used “haint blue” to ward off evil spirits, aka haints, from their homes.
They believed blue would trick haints from entering because its association with water, which haints physically couldn’t cross.
Colors are coding, reminding us that much of our history’s preserved within tiny details.
Just like the range in our melanin, many colors and shades represent our culture and history.