TRACY, Calif. — The Pan-African flag has joined Old Glory in front of Tracy City Hall for Black History Month. Flying alongside the red, white and blue, the flag went up for the first time in the city's history.
“For me, it represents just a highlight, a highlight really of a group of people that helped build this country,” said Mayor Nancy Young about the Pan-African flag. “It’s an openness, inclusivity and equity that we’re striving for in our communities – not only here in Tracy, but across the country. This is a time that truly we need to be united.”
Tracy City Council adopted a resolution back in January that let them fly the flag at City Hall to commemorate Black History Month. The flag itself has horizontal red, black and green stripes and is meant to represent people of the African diaspora, freedom and unity.
According to NPR, the red represents the blood that unites all people of Black African ancestry, the black represents Black people, and the green represents the growth and natural wealth of Africa.
The city's resolution also followed the historic election of the city's first Black mayor back in November. Along with flying the Pan-African flag, Tracy also updated their social media profile photos to a special logo designed for Black History Month.
The former town of Allensworth was the only town fully financed, governed, built, designed and populated by African-Americans in California. John Bartell paid a visit to California state park that now preserves and showcases the historic town.
