here's a question, let's see if you can get it right.
'what does the black colour in The Bahamian flag stand for???'

According to the handout that was attached to a Bahamian Flag pin that I received from the Bahamas Embassy here in Washington DC, "the Black depicts the vigor and strength of a united people"

everybody tells me the'black' is for the black people.:confused:

Originally posted by GodSign
everybody tells me the'black' is for the black people.:confused:

that would be racism though, but thats what I heard a long time ago also. imagine if the white in the american flag was said to stand for white people!? ofcourse the US is mostly hispanic now anyway! :-0

HHHHMMMMM black seems a strange choice to symbolise "vigor and strength" : surely a color like red is more symbolic of vigor and strength (and anger which is how most of us feel when we drive around the nation's capital).

Me tinks its a classic 'speaking with forked tongue' scenario from our flag designers: put in black as vigor and strength of the people but really put it there to represent the 85% of the population and not appear racist while doing it. Perhaps I'm being too cynical....but i get back to my original premise: WHY BLACK TO REPRESENT THESE THINGS??

Black has come to represent mourning and issues related to the underworld but I can also see the beauty in black.

BTW it's a shade not a color as is white.

Some ignorant people are even teaching fooleshness. Some people around here are saying that the white strip on the back represents white people! You fools! That little strip is thier to allow you to attach the flag to the rope so that you can hoist the flag up the mast. Its on every and any flag. I can't believe teachers are actually passing this major misinformation to children! :bahamas: thats the flag nothing more nothing less!

someone already answered the question when they stated that it stood for the vigor and strength of the black people of this nation. i don't see the racial issuse that some people label as racist. the bahamas is basically 85% black the last time i checked and therefor majority rules so what is the difference if the flag represents that? i don't know what the flag makers were thinkin as they designed it but i really think that they meant for it to be a source of pride and not a racist symbol.

Oh Ok... a source of pride for the 85% of people who are recognised. How dare you politicize our flag in such a way. A flag for any country represents all citizens. The black in the flag does not represent the color of people.......... as much as you would like it to, and sadly, as much as the flag designers knew would happen when they made the attachment between the black triangle and the 'vigor and strength of a people UNITED". Please don't disenfranchise people with your racist comments.

Lord look where we going. :rolleyes:

i agree with delroy...besides if you had read and understood my entire statement you would realise that my intention was in no way racist. at least try to think outside of your little box of conformity and political correctness before you attempt to insult someone.

Your intention koolbonze is racism cloaked in a veneer of civility: the most insidious form of creeping racism. Let's look at a portion:

"The bahamas is basically 85% black the last time i checked and therefor majority rules so what is the difference if the flag represents this"

This speaks for itself and i hope u dont really believe that anything which favors a majority should lessen the rights or say of others.

You ascribe to that great freedom rights party the Black Panther Movement in your list of honorees: this party defended the rights of a minority to have an equal say. Please practice what you profess to believe in.

Democracy does not mean that the lawful rights of any minority are overshadowed by the majority. Democracy is the protector of all people's rights and positions as long as they are legal.

I state again: the black in the Bahamas flag does NOT represent the color of any people in this archipelago.

*sigh* why are you getting off topic here? if i wanted to say something racist i would have a long time ago, i hold my tongue (figuratively) for no one. the official description includes the word Unity but my question is "who is the unity shared between?" lol..i'm only kidding while trying to give pevans a reason to call me racist again.

edit: the black panthers have what exactly to do with this topic?

Dont know where you guys went to school, but growing up in freeport, we were taught that the black were for the people etc. Then again we lived under a racist and corupt regime called the PLP run by PING!

Otherwise I really dont care because i am certainly no patriot and do not recognise the flag no matter what it represents!





Your intention koolbonze is racism cloaked in a veneer of civility: the most insidious form of creeping racism. Let's look at a portion:

"The bahamas is basically 85% black the last time i checked and therefor majority rules so what is the difference if the flag represents this"

This speaks for itself and i hope u dont really believe that anything which favors a majority should lessen the rights or say of others.

You ascribe to that great freedom rights party the Black Panther Movement in your list of honorees: this party defended the rights of a minority to have an equal say. Please practice what you profess to believe in.

Democracy does not mean that the lawful rights of any minority are overshadowed by the majority. Democracy is the protector of all people's rights and positions as long as they are legal.

I state again: the black in the Bahamas flag does NOT represent the color of any people in this archipelago.

Before I begin please let me state that what I am about to say in not said in anger, spitefully, or any other negative stance. I am just stating a fact.

Colours mean different things to different cultures and races. There are five major racial groups. Scientifically, there are called: Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid, Amer-Indian, and Australoid. The majority of the people here fall into the group, Negroid. As a result they designed the flag. They chose (much to their credit) the colour black, to represent the strength of a untied people - which it does in their mythology.

To the Caucasoid people the colour black represents death and evil in their mythology. Hence the confusion! (and the dislike of the flag by some white people.) To a Caucasoid person the colour white (like snow, not the flesh) represents purity and from purity springs strength. So, if a white person had designed the flag the triangle would have been white, not black.

Once we, the white people, understand this and realize that the colour black does indeed represent strength to the majority, and it is not and never was intended to be an insult to anyone. Then we can respect the flag - and the people who made it. The colour was chosen in good faith. Except it! :bahamas:

Well given that you are correct CG and the black means different things to the people of this country whether it be negroid or caucasoid, wouldn't it have been more politically correct to have adopted a neutral color with no ethnic misunderstanding? Red would probably have been better and would still have contrasted well on the aqua-marine and gold background: it would still have symbolised vigor and strength of a people united.

Perhaps the designers of our flag were a little naive to think that a black connotation to the people's strengths would not have caused some argument....or perhaps they didnt care.