This flag of red, black, and green is often called the African-American flag. It was originally commissioned by Marcus Garvey and used by the United Negro Improvement Association - a "Back to Africa" organization of the 1920's.
The flag represents racial solidarity and the colors are common to many African flags today.
- Red represents African Blood.
- Black represents the Black Race.
- Green represents land and nationhood.
This flag represents the Western Cherokee Tribe and harkens to the "Trail of Tears" when the Cherokee (as well as the other Eastern Indian Tribes) were forced west across the Mississippi in a racial cleansing by the United States to rid itself of the Eastern Tribes once an for all. It was designed by a Navaho, Stanley John, who is married to a Cherokee woman.
- The 7 stars depict the original clans of the Cherokee.
- The oak wreath symbolizes the sacred eternal fire which was kept kindled by oak wood.
- The seal of the Cherokee Nation, in English and Cherokee - the first Indian script.
- September 6, 1839 is the date of the Cherokee Constitution in Oklahoma
- The black star represents those who died in the forced march of 1838-1839.
Though nearly all Indian Tribes now have a flag representing their people - I use the Cherokee to represent all the American Indians past and present.
I must say that we - as a nation and as a people - have never looked squarely and honestly at the dark history of our country's treatment of both races of people. No groups have been more mistreated than they and the reverberations are still with us today.
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