In 1920, the members of the Universal Negro Improvement Association created a Red, Black and Green flag to unite African Americans against racism. It was a simple design of three thick horizontal rectangles. They wrote: "Red is the color of the blood which men must shed for their redemption and liberty; black is the color of the noble and distinguished race to which we belong; green is the color of the luxuriant vegetation of our Motherland."
Over the years the designs of the flag evolved but the colors remained, their meanings slightly altered: "Black" for the people, "red" for the struggle and "green" for the future.
In 1990, artist David Hammons created a new design based on the standard U.S. flag. Its stripes are black and red, the star field is green and the stars are black. He called it "African-American Flag."
Thirty-five years later, I created this variation on Hammons's work. In this work, I've carved a representation of the U.S. flag and superimposed the colors of the African-American flag.
I made this piece to acknowledge the racism that is carved deep into the soul of America. As a white American, I acknowledge our original sin of slavery and the centuries of injustice that have resulted from it. I honor those who fought - and still fight - for justice.
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