Thursday, September 23, 2010

:: Enlightenment :: What does Red, Black, and Green mean?


Many have asked, "What do the Red, Black, and Green colors represent?" I will explain the colors and why we wear them. The colors are adopted from the UNIA or Black Nationalist Flag. The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) is a black nationalist fraternal organization founded by Marcus Garvey. The UNIA is a social, friendly, humanitarian, charitable, educational, institutional, constructive and expansive society, and is founded by people desiring to do the utmost to work for the general uplift of the people of African ancestry of the world. Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in August 1914 as a means of uniting all of Africa and its diasporas (People who share African ancestry, but not from the homeland) into "one grand racial hierarchy. The UNIA constitution defines red, black, and green as the Pan-African colors: "red representing the noble blood that unites all people of African ancestry, the color black for the people, green for the rich land of Africa. The UNIA flag was designated the official colors of the African Race by the UNIA at its convention in Madison Square Garden on August 13, 1920 in New York City. Alternatively, it was explained by a journalist that Marcus Garvey proposed the colors for the following reasons: "Garvey said red because of sympathy for Native Americans, the Green is sympathy for the Irish in their fight for freedom, and the Black for the Negro.

For those who were not aware this is why these colors are the most associated with Black people till this day. Black history isn't instilled in the school system or in modern households for that matter as it once was, so without proper knowledge, the reasons behind things get lost. People will emulate things but not TRULY know why. Knowledge is power so lets get the power back! ONE LOVE!

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