During Juneteenth you may see a few different flags with varying designs, but you’ll probably see the same three colors: red, black, and green. Many people recognize this as a quintessentially Black color combination but don’t know the story behind those colors. And for many years, I was one of those people. Now that I know the story, I share it with my young kids by doing a fun popsicle-making project that doubles as a history lesson. Read on to learn more about this color combination, and to learn how to make your own red, black, and green popsicles to celebrate Juneteenth and Black liberation.

Red, black, and green are the colors of the Pan-African flag, which is why this is the most prevalent color combination you’ll see on Juneteenth, the holiday that celebrates the freeing of enslaved people in Texas in 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

I grew up in Texas, where Juneteenth has been a state holiday since 1980, but Juneteenth wasn’t discussed in school, and my family didn’t celebrate it, so I didn’t know what it was until I was an adult and came across it on Instagram. Now I mark it with my husband and kids by talking about my home state’s often overlooked Black history, and making something red to eat or drink, which is traditional on Juneteenth. Many celebrants recall that Yoruba and Kongo cultures associated red with sacrifice, transition, and power. In addition to making  red foods and drinks, many Black families will host a cookout or participate in a larger community celebration.

The Pan-African Flag

In 2022, when my husband and I took our then-two-year-old son to a local Juneteenth celebration, we received a bag of kids’ craft supplies, many of which were colored red, black, and green. I realized then that I didn’t know the story behind this color combination, and therefore couldn’t explain it to my child. So I looked it up and started reading about the Pan-African flag, which I’d seen countless times before but hadn’t been calling by name.

The Pan-African flag has three horizontal bars. Starting at the top, red stands for the blood that was shed in the fight against oppression, and the blood that is shared among us. Black stands for our identity as Black people. Green stands for the natural fertility and abundance of Africa.

The Pan-African flag represents Black liberation throughout the diaspora, and it was adopted in 1920 by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). The UNIA was founded in Jamaica by Marcus Garvey, who embraced Black nationalism, Black economic independence, and a “back to Africa” movement to reunite members of the diaspora with the motherland. For Garvey, the Pan-African flag was an important part of fostering Black political power. The flag is sometimes referred to as the UNIA flag, the Marcus Garvey flag, or the Black liberation flag.

Other Flags Seen on Juneteenth

You may see red, black, and green in different configurations on Juneteenth, like on David Hammons’ African-American flag. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Hammons said of the Pan-African flag: “It is so abstract, so pure, that the masses were frightened by it. I made my flag because I felt that they needed one like the U.S. flag but with black stars instead of white ones.” 

There’s also another Juneteenth flag that was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith. Its design is a reimagining of the U.S. flag to emphasize that the people freed in Texas were American citizens, and the flag features a Lone Star, like the Texas state flag. You may see this flag outside of government buildings in places that choose to observe the holiday. However, many people don’t fly it because its colors—red, white, and blue—may conflate Juneteenth with Independence Day. For many Black families, it’s crucial to distinguish Black liberation from the freedoms that were afforded to white people long before Black people achieved those same rights, if ever.

Aside from Juneteenth, the Pan-African flag can be seen year-round outside of Black-owned businesses, in Black homes, and on occasions that concern Black liberation, like parades or protests. That history, and this recipe, are good any time of year.

Turning the Pan-African Flag Into Popsicles

My kids are still very young, so I wanted to teach them about the history and significance of the Pan-African flag and Black liberation and empowerment in a relatable way. They love to watch the CoComelon videos, and they enjoy the “Rainbow Popsicle” song in particular. We had made these multicolored, multilayered popsicles before, but once I started learning about the Pan-African flag, I thought it would be a more meaningful activity for us to make them in this design and talk about what each color means.

To make half a dozen popsicles that look like the Pan-African flag, I start with fruit. It’s nice to use fresh fruit that’s ripe with a nice strong flavor. However, the peak seasons for some of the fruits I use aren’t perfectly aligned with Juneteenth, so frozen or slightly out-of-season fruit will do. I like to use strawberries for the red layer, blackberries for the black layer, and kiwi for the green layer. Also suitable are raspberries or watermelon for the red layer, black cherries for the black layer, and honeydew melon for the green layer. Keep in mind that the black layer will likely come out a very dark purple rather than a true black. Feel free to add a few drops of black food coloring to darken it.

Since most of the ingredients are fresh produce, the kids can snack as we go, and they love to see the final product emerge from the popsicle mold. And they don’t last long in our house. They’re crisp and cool, perfect for summer, and they taste deliciously like actual fruit, unlike many store-bought popsicles that taste like artificial flavoring.