African-American Flag facts for kids

Quick facts for kids African-American Flag
African American Flag (1990) in 2022 at the National Gallery of Art's showing of Afro-Atlantic Histories
Artist	David Hammons
Year	1990 (1990)
Medium	Fabric
Movement	Contemporary art
Dimensions	142.2 cm × 223.5 cm (56.0 in × 88.0 in)
Location	The Broad, Jack Shainman Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, National Museum of African American History and Culture, The New School, Studio Museum in Harlem

The African-American Flag is a special artwork made by David Hammons in 1990. It is a flag design that mixes the colors of the Pan-African flag with the pattern of the flag of the United States. This artwork helps show the identity of African Americans.

This flag was first shown at an art show called "Black USA" in Amsterdam in 1990. The first set included five flags. These flags are now kept in important museum collections.

The flag was created around the time David Dinkins became the first African American mayor of New York City in 1989. The next year, David Hammons received a special award called the MacArthur Genius Fellowship. He got this award for his important work in showing African American culture.

About the African-American Flag

This artwork is a type of art called vexillography. This means it is art about flags. Hammons' flag uses the colors red, black, and green from the Pan-African flag. These colors stand for the blood shed, the people, and the land of Africa. He combined them with the stars and stripes pattern of the American flag.

The flag is a powerful symbol. It shows the history and identity of African Americans. It also highlights their place in the United States.

Where to See the Flags

The first set of five flags is sometimes called the 'Amsterdam flags'. After these, another ten flags were made. Many important museums and collections own versions of this artwork.

Original Flag Collections

Some of the original flags can be found in these places:

• Museum of Modern Art in New York. They have two versions, one of which is shared with the Studio Museum in Harlem.
• The Broad in Los Angeles.
• National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
• The Collection Over Holland.

Other Collections

Other places that have the flag artwork include:

• Jack Shainman Gallery.
• The New School in New York.
• The Pizzuti collection in Columbus, Ohio.

Display and Meaning

The Studio Museum in Harlem has flown its version of the flag above its entrance since 2004. This is in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.

You might also see copies of Hammons' flag at social justice protests and demonstrations. People use them to show support for important causes.

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  The Hammons flag at the Studio Museum in Harlem, 2007

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  A digital picture of the flag

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  People celebrating Juneteenth in Sacramento, California, USA, June 2020

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  A "Protect Our Votes" rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, November 2020

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  A protest called "Boot Out White Power" in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, April 2021