THE ONE RACE SYMBOL

created by James Queen

Phase ONE

In 1997, we developed and established a trademark for the first concept of the One Race Symbol. The symbol was designed to represent the fact that we all belonged to one race, that the division of people into separate but unequal races based on the color of their skin was a false social construct not a scientific one. The science of genetics has proven that all human beings belong to one race. One race that began in Africa and spread throughout the world.

The first One Race Symbol was in the form of a flag with perpendicular stripes of black, brown, red, yellow and white. The symbol was immediately adopted by KMEL radio station in San Francisco, who had already adopted “no color lines” in its stations promos. The station produced huge banners of the symbol as the backdrop to the stage for its annual musical extravaganza, Summer Jam.

We made a presentation of the flag and its meaning at a conference sponsored by KMEL in San Francisco. Russel Simmons founder of Def Jam records endorsed the flag as the symbol of the Hip Hop nation, articles appeared in Hip Hop magazine and newspapers throughout the country.

Mayor Willie Brown provided all Mayors attending the National Conference of Mayors being held in San Francisco in 1997, a flag with a statement of its meaning, Mayors took the flag back to their cities and hung the flag in city halls and educational institutions throughout the country and used the symbol in the design of diversity programs.

However we began to get some serious feedback when a few people were mistaking the flag for the German National flag due to its similar colors.

Phase TWO

This led us in 2004 to develop a new symbol copyrighted that would still capture the meaning but leave no ambiguity. The new symbol would incorporate the profile or outline of the faces, black, brown, red, yellow and white with the word ONE beneath them all. As a result, everyone who saw it immediately understood and identified with its meaning.

Mayor Gavin Newsom adopted the symbol and its meaning and placed a large banner of the symbol in the South Foyer of city hall. The city made an official proclamation, stating the meaning of the symbol— “all human beings belong to one race, differences beautiful skin colors, cultures (ethnicities) and religions being environmental, social and spiritual adaptations within the race”. This declared the ethnic diversity week in conjunction with the city’s annual multiethnic Carnival Parade on May 22-29.

The San Francisco Unified School District adopted the symbol and was selected to be the lead contingent in the Carnival Parades. This was to celebrate Ethnic diversity and educational excellence. The contingent was led by students carrying a huge banner of the symbol and T shirts designed with the symbol on the front and the statement of its meaning on the back.

The next phase of the We Are One Movement campaign is represented by the creation of the one-race.org web site. It would include videos of the symbol and its meaning, and a video showing the migratory pattern of the human race out of Africa and throughout the world. The web-site outlines our strategies for the We Are One movement to educate everyone to the scientific fact that all human beings belong to just one race. We want the One Race symbol to become so universally recognized, that when people see it they will automatically think “One Race”. Hopefully people will appreciate and find joy in their own and everyone’s beautiful colors and cultures within the race.