How Marcus Garvey inspired the name Black Stars

Ghana eye fifth AFCON trophy in Cameroon

Cameroon to host 2021 AFCON

Ghana in Group C of AFCON 2021

Accross the world, most national teams are identified by

Read full articletheir nicknames albeit not officially.

The names given to a national football team are mostly driven by the colours of their flag, animals, or symbols that represent the beliefs and principles of the country.

In Ghana, the senior national team is christened “Black Stars”, a name which to many people was influenced by the black star in the nation’s flag.

There is however an interesting story behind the decision to have the black star in the middle of the country’s flag.

The Star represents African pride and Black self-sufficiency, equality, freedom, and justice inspired by Marcus Garvey’s shipping line of the same name established in 1919.

Garvey, a Jamaican Black nationalist advocate who was known for his Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica. A group that prioritized self-government for black people all over the world and fought against racial discrimination.

He owned shipping called the Black Stars line which promoted the return of the African diaspora to their ancestral lands.

Garvey had a great impact on the African independence movements of the twentieth century. His influence led to Ghana featuring the black star in their flag after gaining independence.

The Black Star represents not only Garvey’s pan-Africanism and unity but also his Black Star Line.

President Kwame Nkrumah under whom the Ghana football team was formed named the team the Black stars representing pan-Africanism.

Ghana are in Group C in the AFCON will kick start their tournament in a crunch game against Morocco before playing Gabon in a second group fixture. The team will wrap up the group start with Comoros.