Salute US
WHO IS ON THE SALUTE FLAG? AND WHY? | Part 1
25
Jan
Jan
The Salute series was created to celebrate African American artists who either created, innovated or contributed in a major way to our culture. There’s no way to honor every last Black person who made an impact in the arts so we know we didn’t “get it right.” That’s because our selection process wasn’t scientific AT ALL.
We included painters, writers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, actors, and theater producers. We included legends and we included promising torch bearers. We included our favorites and we cut some of our favorites to make sure certain cohorts were included. In the end, we wanted to tell a story.
Some of the people on the flag have done horrible things in their personal lives (and serve as cautionary tales). Some of the people on the flag have been heavily criticized for their art. But the thing that binds everyone together is their undeniable contributions to the culture; the thing that makes life exciting. Again, we know we didn’t get it right and we’re okay with that. The purpose of this is to tell our story in raw form and hope you come along for the ride. As creatives, that’s all we can ever ask for.
See the first row of artists below and BUY the Salute Tee
AARON DOUGLAS
(May 26, 1899 – February 2, 1979)
SNAPSHOT
Aaron Douglas was an African American painter/illustrator born in Kansas, raised in Detroit and immortalized in Harlem. Douglas was a Harlem Renaissance pioneer who combined modernist art techniques with African and African-American themes.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Aaron Douglas was the first prominent painter of The Harlem Renaissance but didn’t hesitate to help and collaborate with other artists who would go on to make the movement bigger than any one contributor.
SNAPSHOT
Born in Philadelphia, Alain Locke was an African American philosopher, writer and patron of the arts who most credit as the “Dean” of the Harlem Renaissance
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Aaron Douglas was the first prominent painter of The Harlem Renaissance but didn’t hesitate to help and collaborate with other artists who would go on to make the movement bigger than any one contributor.
ALAIN LOCKE
(September 13, 1895 – June 9, 1954)
ALICE WALKER
(February 9, 1945)
SNAPSHOT
Alice Walker is an African American novelist, poet and Black feminist from Eatonton, Georgia. She won acclaim and the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her novel, The Color Purple, which was later adapted into a film directed by Stephen Spielberg.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Alice Walker’s work just hits different. Before you can understand and defeat an enemy, you must first understand and defeat the enemy within. Through her stories, Alice Walker helps us better understand the enemy within, who takes the form of our shared trauma as second-class citizens in this country.
SNAPSHOT
Alvin Ailey was an African American dancer, choreographer, director and activist who created the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the most successful dance companies in the world. The company’s signature piece is Revelations (1960), a powerful work by Ailey set to African-American spirituals.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Alvin Ailey took a so-called “white” artform, made it unapologetically Black AF and the world loved him for it AND the world continues to pay for it. But what I personally appreciate most is that he created the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with the purpose of elevating Blacks in the world of dance. The company has always and will continue to showcase choreography from other Black dancers (known and unknown).
ALVIN AILEY
(January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989)
AMY SHERALD
(August 30, 1975)
SNAPSHOT
Amy Sherald is a Black painter from Columbus, Georgia who is most known for her portrait series in which she combines historical realism with rich African-American traditions.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Amy Sherald is what I call a “Torch Bearer”. She stands on the shoulders of giants like, Laura Wheeler Waling, Lois Mailou Jones, and Alma Thomas, while also reaching heights that were never achieved before. If this little ol’ painting of Michele Obama is any indication of Sherald’s future, I think we may have a legend on our hands.
SNAPSHOT
Angela Bassett is a Yale trained, award winning Black actress affectionately known as one of the mothers of Black Hollywood. She has over 100 TV/Film credits and is best known for her biographical portrayals of historically prominent Black women.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Tina, Betty, Katherine, Coretta, Rosa, Voletta, Bernadine, Stella, & Queen Romanda of Wakanda. Nuff’ said.
ANGELA BASSETT
(August 16, 1958)
ARETHA FRANKLIN
(March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018)
SNAPSHOT
Aretha Franklin was a multiple grammy award winning singer, songwriter and pianist who is considered the Queen of Soul and one of the greatest voices of all time.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
There is no Alternative Soul or NEO Soul without the original Queen of Soul. That alone forces the world to put some R-E-S-P-E-C-T on Ms. Franklin’s name.
SNAPSHOT
Arsenio Hall is a comedian, writer, actor, and producer who is mostly known as a revolutionary talk show host who was responsible for giving a starting platform to some of the biggest names in the culture.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Besides the fact that he lowkey got Bill Clinton elected, what the Arsenio Hall show did for telling Black stories has been unmatched ever since. Imagine the Breakfast Club but bigger…that’s the Arsenio Hall Show.
ARSENIO HALL
(February 12, 1956)
AUDRE LORDE
(February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992)
SNAPSHOT
Audre Lorde was a self-described, “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet,” who mastered the technical, expressive art of poetry while using her gifts to confront racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” – Audre Lorde. Ms. Lorde’s work fearlessly forced everyone to recognize and accept the differences between Black women and the rest of the world. Some of us learned to celebrate those differences. And some of us had to simply deal with the insecurity of knowing there’s no equal to the beauty and strength of Black women. Either way, Audre Lorde was heard.
SNAPSHOT
August Wilson was a brilliant Black playwright who won two Pulitzer Prizes, a TONY and several other awards. Wilson’s most notable works are part of a series, each set in a different decade, depicting comedic, tragic and beautifully human aspects of the African-American experience in the 20th century.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
August Wilson is one of the best Playwrights in US History but his works definitely don’t get the support they deserve. His work is technically brilliant and shines a light on very intimate aspects of the Black family and the Black experience as a whole. A lot of Wilson’s brilliance gets overlooked by non-theater goers so it would be criminal if we did the same.
AUGUST WILSON
(April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005)
AVA DUVERNAY
(August 24, 1972)
SNAPSHOT
Ava Duvernay is an award-winning Black filmmaker who first picked up a camera to learn the craft at the age of 32. She would eventually become the first Black woman to direct a $100 million film. Her most notable works include Selma, 13th, Queen Sugar, A Wrinkle In Time, and When They See Us.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Ava Duvernay is the perfect embodiment of the statement, “it’s never too late to chase your dreams.” By the age of 32, most of us have settled into our “careers” or prescribed paths. And she didn’t just tip-toe into film. Ms. Duvernay told stories that really matter and that really reshape the conversations around the Black experience.
SNAPSHOT
B.B King is a grammy award winning Black singer-songwriter, guitarist, known as “The King of The Blues” who recorded over 50 albums and greatly influenced modern Rock, Jazz, and Hip-Hop
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
50 Albums (mostly classics). Without B.B. King, R&B, Rock and Hip-Hop would not exist in the way it does today.
BB KING
(September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015)
BEYONCE
(September 4, 1981)
SNAPSHOT
Beyonce Knowles-Carter is an award winning, genre-blending, multi-platinum selling singer song-writer who has eclipsed her peers as this generation’s top performer. She is also known to use her platform for social activism and humanitarianism while also demonstrating how to effectively mold her talents into a business empire.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Do we really need to explain this?
SNAPSHOT
Bill Bojangles Robinson was an iconic Black tap-dancer and actor who was best known for his film roles, Broadway performances and for being the most famous and highest paid Black entertainer of the first half of the 20th century.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Along with being one of the best dancers of all time, Bill Bojangles Robinson was also one of the best actors of all time. Yes, actor. Robinson had to act like he was a commoner, all the while knowing he was a King. Thankfully he was able to flex on the institution of racism by breaking through the minstrel box allowing others to do the same.
DEEPER DIVE
https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0202/p18s2.html
BILL BOJANGLES ROBINSON
(May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949)
BILL COSBY
(July 12, 1937)
SNAPSHOT
Bill Cosby is an award winning Black comedian, actor, producer and philanthropist who revolutionized Black TV with The Cosby show. Bill’s brand of comedy was an intentional effort to add balance to the black comedic landscape dominated by raunchy and often stereotypical acts of the time. He would eventually be convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to prison, ultimately undoing his legacy.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Bill Cosby is on the flag for two reasons. First, his accomplishments and influence on our culture is undeniable and deserve recognition. Second, his ultimate downfall serves as a critical cautionary tale. Whether you believe he is innocent or not, it’s fair to assume that he should’ve moved differently. That alone is enough to warn Black men that we can’t afford to be anything less than what God intended us to be.
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Out of stock
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