Our media board member, Mark Carroll, the creative director for our Virtual Learning Center/Website, has fashioned both a logo and a companion seal for our media presence. The logo represents the broader and longer view of our mission, which encompasses the freedom suits and all that follows for Blacks in America; the seal provides detailed imagery of the inspiring Memorial.
The FSMF Logo
For the Foundation’s logo, Mark Carroll has turned to traditional Ashanti culture and adapted the Adinkra symbol for emancipation, independence, and freedom – the Fawohodie – into a three-dimensional cornerstone. This newly-created icon communicates the central role of the freedom suits as key to the efforts of Black Americans in using the judicial system – from before the Civil War all the way through to the present – on the challenging and ongoing journey to achieve legal equality and social justice.
In Ashanti, the Fawohodie symbol communicates a profound proverb: “Fawohodie ne obre na enam”, which literally means “Freedom walks with suffering.” This expresses so well not only the plight of freedom suits plaintiffs but also the generations who followed in their footsteps since then.
Mark has also very intentionally chosen colors to enhance the impact of this multi-faceted image, drawing inspiration from Kente cloth palettes and their meanings: Yellow – Sun & Prosperity; Green – Mother Nature; Red – our Blood and History. See: https://kentecloth.net/kente-cloth-patterns/ . Combined with the Foundation’s title, this Fawohodie logo conveys our shared identity.
The FMSF Seal
Given the broad spectrum of anticipated opportunities to bring attention to all the elements of the Memorial on Freedom Plaza, Mark has created a seal to be a companion to the logo. With his creativity and high level of technical skill, Mark has captured in medallion-style seal, a crisp, core image of the “Freedom’s Home” and the first panel of names on the Memorial’s base as the focal point in a manner that will almost certainly cause the viewer to want to see all the elements of the Memorial. One version of the seal bears a “mini statement” of the Foundation’s mission.
The Logo and the Seal complement each other – even with their distinct appearances – in advancing our mission to commemorate and honor freedom suits plaintiffs and those who helped them. Our supporters may prefer one over the other, but we believe both of these will help us to communicate our mission in social media and other contexts.
Hon. David C. Mason
Chair, Freedom Suits Memorial Foundation
Founder, Freedom Suits Memorial
FREEDOM SUITS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION 