THE SYMBOLISM OF SISTERALL

This logo emerges out of a reflection of Ruby Sales on black women’s significance to the black community, and to the nation. She was drawn to Ezekiel’s “wheel in the middle of a wheel”. Ruby imagined black women as stabilizing, centering, creative, exacting, powerful, and transformative agents, who work at home and in the world, whenever and wherever they are most needed.

The WHEEL is the universal symbol of cosmic unity - a circle of life, unity, movement, fire, sun, earth cycle of renewal, and reincarnation.

LIME GREEN symbolizes friendship, continuity, and community.

EIGHT is the emblem of cosmic equilibrium and renewal, rebirth, or beatitude. Mediating between the circle and the square, the octagon combines stability with totality. Seven symbolizes the end of cycle; this graphic with eight pointed heads symbolizes the beginning of a new era of activism and visibility for African-American women, who through our activism and teaching will change the landscape of American society.

SISTERALL is a black, intergenerational, 21st-century sisterhood, unified in our commitment to pool our resources to advance our lives and the black community. We especially commit our caring and commitment to black youth. This is especially important today, when they are locked out of equal and fair education and cast down to the lowest economic and social rungs in society.

SOULFORCE represents our collective as black women, to open doors of opportunity, ignite hope, nurture generations, and transmit cultural resources and values that extol justice and high standards, as well as compassionate and people-centered leadership. We carry within us the energy and drive of generations of black women, those who made the arid soil of segregation and other forms of injustice rich with hope and possibilities for themselves and other members of the black community.