Black Liberation Flag Raised At Newark High School: Black History Month 2026

NEWARK, NJ — An annual raising of the Black Liberation Flag returned to Weequahic High School in Newark last week.

Held on Feb. 2, the local flag raising event commemorates Black History Month.

Students were joined by principal Kyle Thomas, history teacher Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele and other staff members for a ceremony that included a libation pouring to the ancestors, speeches about the significance of the Black Liberation flag and Black History Month, a singing of the Black National Anthem and poetry performances.

Guest speakers this year included:

• Dawn Haynes – Brick City Collective / Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC)
• Sharif Amenhotep – Brick City Peace Collective / Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC) / New Black Panther Party
• Larry Hamm – Chair of the Newark based Peoples Organization for Progress

According to Akinyele:

“The colors of the Black Liberation Flag are red, black and green. Red represents the shedding of the innocent blood of Black people. Black represents Black people all over the planet. Green represents Mother Africa. The Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, one of the world's most respected Black leaders of the 20th Century, created the Black Liberation Flag in the 1920's to give Black people a racial unifying identity in the African diaspora.”

Akinyele noted that Newark South Ward Councilman Pat Council and the city’s conflict resolution organization, One Hood, joined in solidarity with the students from Weequahic.

Weequahic's Black History Month Committee has been raising the Black Liberation Flag annually for more than 20 years. Watch video footage from the 2026 event below, or view it online here.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.