The Pan-African Foundation
Before diving into individual scenes, it’s crucial to understand the palette. The most prominent colors you’ll see are red, black, and green. These are the Pan-African colors, adopted in 1920 by Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association
(UNIA). They were designed to be a unifying symbol for people of African descent worldwide, a direct response to the racist caricatures and lack of respectful representation prevalent at the time. Black stands for the people, red for the blood shed in the fight for liberation, and green for the rich, vibrant land of Africa. When a costume designer puts a character in these colors for a Juneteenth episode, they are instantly connecting the celebration of American emancipation to a much broader story of global Black identity and resilience. It's a visual shorthand that says, “This story belongs to a larger legacy.”
Red: Bloodshed and Resilience
Red is arguably the most emotionally charged color in the Juneteenth palette. It directly confronts the violent history of slavery and the struggle for freedom. It represents the blood of ancestors, both those who died in bondage and those who fought to end it. But it’s not just a color of sorrow; it’s one of power and life. Think of the animated musical episode of “black-ish” titled “Juneteenth.” As the Johnson family learns about the holiday's history through song, the screen is flooded with vibrant reds. The color underscores the gravity of the struggle but also the vitality and passion of the characters telling the story. By dressing characters in red, costume designers like Michelle R. Cole, who worked on “black-ish,” are making a bold statement. They are acknowledging the painful past without letting it define the present, transforming a symbol of suffering into one of strength.
Black: Peoplehood and Pride
Black is the anchor of the Pan-African flag and the Juneteenth color scheme. It represents the people themselves—a declaration of existence and identity. In a world that has often tried to render Black people invisible or reduce them to stereotypes, the color black is an act of reclamation. It’s a statement of beauty, strength, and unapologetic presence. In television, using black in costume design can be subtle but powerful. It’s not just about a character wearing a black shirt; it’s about the context. In a Juneteenth setting, a sharp black suit or a flowing black dress becomes imbued with historical weight. It signifies dignity, solidarity, and a connection to the collective identity of the African diaspora. It’s a color that says, “We are here, we are proud, and we are a people.”
Green: The Land and The Future
While red and black ground the story in history and identity, green looks forward. It symbolizes the natural wealth of Africa, the motherland, but it also represents growth, hope, prosperity, and the promise of a future. It’s the color of new life and new beginnings. In a Juneteenth context, green is a visual manifestation of the hope that emancipation represented. The Netflix docuseries “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” masterfully uses this in its Juneteenth episode. As host Stephen Satterfield attends a Juneteenth celebration in Texas, you see pops of green everywhere—in the food, the decorations, and the clothing. It visually connects the fertility of the land, the food that sustained people, and the hope for a prosperous future free from bondage. It’s a color of optimism, a reminder that freedom wasn’t just an end to slavery but the start of a new chapter.
White: A Symbol of New Beginnings
Beyond the Pan-African trio, the color white plays a profound and often central role in Juneteenth celebrations, both on and off-screen. White traditionally symbolizes peace, purity, and a clean slate. For many, wearing white on Juneteenth is a way to honor a new beginning and celebrate the transition from bondage to freedom. Donald Glover’s critically acclaimed “Atlanta” episode, also titled “Juneteenth,” uses this to stunning effect. When Earn and Van attend an upscale Juneteenth party, the dress code is overwhelmingly white. The sea of white cocktail dresses and linen suits creates an atmosphere that is at once celebratory and unnervingly sterile, a brilliant commentary on the commercialization and performance of Black culture. The choice to center the episode’s aesthetic around white, rather than the Pan-African colors, was a deliberate and subversive one, using the color's symbolic purity to question the authenticity of the event itself.
