My name is LaTosha Matthews. I am an artist from Columbus, Ohio establishing a symbol of self-love, pride, and unity amongst women of African descent.
I created “The Purple Swag Flag” in 2010. The three stripes, purple, white, and black, were inspired by artist Archibald Motley’s painting, Brown Girl After the Bath (1931). Brown Girl is set in the Harlem Renaissance era and depicts an African American woman, bare except for her shoes, sitting straight backed and proud, staring boldly at the viewer through a vanity mirror. This painting has been recognized as one of the first images of a nude black female that does not conjure ideas of slavery or sexual exploitation. Brown Girl resonated with me; I felt the woman exemplifies self-satisfaction void of arrogance. She exudes an understated self-love, a taken for granted appreciation of the self. Her steady gaze embraces the imperfections of individual glamour, and calls on the viewer to join this celebration of the black female. I felt honored to be in the exclusive club of beautiful black women of diverse shapes and sizes, proud of our bodies and the influence we possess.
Also in Motley’s painting hangs a purple curtain, also known as a swag. The color purple has historically been associated with royalty and luxury. The depiction of a black nude woman with a purple swag during the 1930’s was a statement of empowerment.
The black and white stripes are complimentary to the color purple; the white represents our agency to create our own environment and the power to influence our world, and the black stands for the support of the earth and our female ancestors, who sustain and ground us.
The flag, like Archibald Motley’s Brown Girl painting, stands for a healthy self-worth, self-love and pride in our African ancestry. It is intended to represent a collective of women across the globe affected by the African diaspora, and create a united community of women who are not defined by, but embrace the uncertainty of our precise origins and native cultures. It is our symbol of belonging and I hope that women hold it in their hearts, take it, wave it, and share with other women.
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