If you've seen a black and red flag with a gold sword, here is what it means Learn about what it symbolizes and its significance for Black Americans. Its History and Symbolism As the name of the flag suggests, the Black American Heritage Flag is a symbol that represents the culture and history of African Americans. For centuries, people from all over the world have waved the flags of their homeland to display a sense of pride for where they came from. And after being created in 1967, this flag is now embraced by Black Americans celebrating and honoring America's Black culture. You will typically see the Black American Heritage Flag flown during Black History Month, if not year-round. And although the flag does not include all of the colors used to represent Black History Month, each color in this flag and its symbol has a distinct meaning. Learn all about the Black American Heritage Flag as we look at the details of what the flag stands for, who designed it and why it needed to be created. What Does the Black American Heritage Flag Mean? The Black American Heritage Flag represents the pride and accomplishments of Black Americans. But it is even more than that. Along with celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans, this flag also symbolizes the struggles and pain that were endured throughout history. In remembering both the accomplishments and the pain, this flag was created as a way to make progress and offer hope to Black Americans. The flag is made up of the colors red and black with a distinct symbol in gold. A lot of thought went into the design of the flag and each part of it has a significant meaning. Like the colors for Black History Month, red represents the innocent blood shed by Black Americans throughout America's history and black signifies pride in the Black race. The color gold, in the symbol, represents intellect, prosperity and peace. And the symbol itself—made up of a blunted sword and a fig wreath—has its own meaning. The sword is meant to instill pride and the fig wreath symbolizes peace, prosperity and everlasting life. Who Created the Black American Heritage Flag? Melvin Charles and Gleason T. Jackson designed the flag in 1967. However, their inspiration began much earlier, when Charles realized that other groups of people, like those with Italian and Hispanic heritage, had a flag at parades, while African Americans did not. Charles and Jackson put a lot of thought, research and intentionality into creating the Black American Heritage Flag, as Charles also wrote a book called The Rallying Point. In it, he describes the struggle to promote the Black American Heritage Flag. It details all of the ups and downs that Charles and Jackson went through while attempting to pro-mote the flag. Their story is a lesson in perseverance against all odds. As Charles says in the book, "That we have survived at all is testimony to that strength and greatness and that survival is warrant enough to justify finding pride in who we are. The flag was meant to symbolize that pride. It still does." Black American Heritage Flag vs. the Pan-African Flag The Black American Heritage Flag is sometimes confused with the Pan-African flag, the red, black and green flag created in 1920. The two are different symbols with different origins. The Pan-African flag represents the global Black diaspora, while the Black American Heritage Flag was created specifically to represent African American history and culture in the United States. Why the Black American Heritage Flag Still Matters In general, flags are used as a visual symbol of a cause or identity. The use of flags goes all the way back to ancient Roman times, representing military affiliations on the battlefield. Today, flags are used to unite and remember the past. Each country can turn to its respective flag to feel that sense of solidarity and loyalty to its homeland. For this very reason, the Black American Heritage Flag was created.

God is still planting Maybe our assignment this week is simply to find one patch of ground around us and help the garden grow again. By Rev. Joshua D. Ward, Pastor Omega Baptist Church Sometimes you can look at the world around you and know: This is not the way it is supposed to be. Children shouldn't have to grow up afraid of being shot. Parents shouldn't have to bury their children. Families shouldn't be destroyed by addiction. People shouldn't go hungry while others have more than enough. People shouldn't be judged by the color of their skin. Something within us recognizes that we were made for something better. Jesus once said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field.” I've always focused on what Jesus says next—that the tiny seed eventually grows into something surprisingly large. But recently another word caught my attention: Field. The Bible begins with God planting a garden. The garden represents life as God intended it: humanity in right relationship with God, with one another, with creation and even with ourselves. But things went wrong. By Genesis 3, the ground produces thorns and thistles. The garden has become a field—a place where good things can still grow, but where they struggle alongside things trying to choke the life out of them. Sounds a lot like our world. But here's the good news: God didn't abandon the field. Jesus says someone took a seed and planted it right in the middle of it. That's what God's Kingdom is about. It is God refusing to surrender what hatred, violence, greed, injustice and sin have damaged. It is God bringing life back into places where death has taken root. And God invites us to participate. Every time we feed somebody who is hungry, the garden grows. Every time we welcome somebody who has been excluded, the garden grows. Every time we speak for somebody who has been silenced, the garden grows. Every time we choose reconciliation instead of retaliation, the garden grows. Every time we seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly, the garden grows. Maybe that's why Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” That prayer isn't merely asking God to do something. It's volunteering to become part of the answer. When we pray for hungry people to be fed, God may ask us to open our pantry. When we pray for lonely people to find community, God may ask us to make room at our table. When we pray for injustice to end, God may ask us to raise our voice. When we pray for reconciliation, God may ask us to take the first step. The field is damaged, but it still belongs to God. And God is still planting. Maybe our assignment this week is simply to find one patch of ground around us and help the garden grow again. OMEGA BAPTIST CHURCH (937) 278-1006 1821 Emerson Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45406

Imari Burton, Opinion & Editorial Publisher for Dayton Weekly News By RoShawn Winburn, Dayton Weekly News Imari Burton grew up in Westwood, a community on Dayton's west side. She says that shaped how she sees the city. She learned it as someone living in it, not someone looking in from the outside. Her mother's and grandparents' generation remembers when Dayton was a significant, prosperous city. The gap between then and now left her with both pride and a critical eye. "I love Dayton because it feels like home," she says, "but I'm also able to be honest about the things that aren't working." Her path to writing was not a straight line. She holds a degree in media and also studied psychology and criminal justice. She spent about seven years in auto sales, moving up from sales into management, finance and operations, then worked in lending and banking. She has had more jobs than she can count and believes each one made her more well-rounded, since each put her in front of different people, industries and communities. Outside of work, she danced for twelve years, ballet and jazz, and fitness is now a big part of her life. She is into spirituality, personal development and learning, and she also enjoys art, anime, finance, astrology and pop culture. Writing was always there. English was her strongest subject, and as a kid she wrote stories, poems and songs. She just never saw it as a career. Sales taught her that communicating was one of her strengths. Then she stepped away from everything for a while to reflect, research and figure out who she was becoming. She dug into politics, social issues and current events, and started a Substack to document what she was learning. That work led her to DWN through a shared mission. She says she didn't so much realize she wanted to be a writer as realize she has things to say. She sees herself as a teacher and communicator, with writing and speaking as vehicles for that purpose. What drives her is people, and how we can get better, individually and together. She is most passionate about the Black community and the issues affecting Black Americans. She wants conversations about how to improve, challenge ourselves, examine what isn't working and build on what is. She credits her grandmother for showing what is possible when you start with very little, and her mother for teaching resilience and perseverance. She has been through hard things she keeps private, and says they taught her to keep going without all the answers. Readers can expect her to take on economic inequality and the working class, government power versus individual rights, systems that aren't working, and the hidden stories underneath the ones we are handed. She is drawn to controversial topics and gets curious when people seem to be steered toward accepting or rejecting something. A good story, she says, takes real interest, deep research and reflection, and more than one point of view. She is comfortable putting her own perspective in her work. Her beat is culture, controversial ideas within the Black community, media narratives, Black political life and spirituality. She sees herself first as an opinion commentator and columnist, then a podcaster and conversationalist, then a storyteller. One thing she won't cover is sports. She wants to launch a podcast, The Elevation Exchange, and is interested in video interview series and moderating community conversations and live events. She is new to podcasting and video and wants to learn as much as she can. To her, a Black newspaper means power, representation and ownership of our narrative, and she points out that DWN is the only Black-owned newspaper in the Miami Valley. She wants coverage that shows how the news affects Black readers, with resources and calls to action, along with Black history and how we got here. She also doesn't want DWN to choose between longtime readers and younger ones. She wants to connect them. What excites her about Dayton is the talent and uniqueness. What concerns her is the future of the local Black community, poverty and population decline. There is one subject she says she hasn't had a platform for yet: what it feels like to not fit into one box. She wants to talk about ambition, being overlooked, reinventing yourself and identity. She believes many people feel the same way but have no space to talk about it honestly. Follow Imari here and on her Substack page: