It was such a dope scene to witness another National Pride Day here in The Bahamas.
After we slid out of a nasty election cycle, chose a new crew to lead the government for the next five years and are all around trying to figure out the direction the country is heading; it was great to see so much Bahamian pride displayed yesterday with tons of people rocking their aquamarine, black and gold showcasing their Bahamian pride.
It seems like everyone put aside their political differences for the day chosen to hail the true Bahamain spirit and essence.
Each year T-shirt companies bring out their new designs that display The Bahamas as they see it.
This year one of the most popular and oldest T-shirt companies in town caught our attention when they dropped their new independence line.
SunTee is woke y’all!!!
The 2017 lineup of SunTee Independence T-shirts feature strong images of Black love, unity and strength, without skimping on our heritage and culture.
We’re talking afros, raised fists, images of beautiful Black women and men with wide noses and full lips; all things Black people have been told be ashamed of. Though many local designs have been amazing over the years, we can’t recall a time we’ve actually seen representations of ourselves in the designs.
eLIFE242 caught up with SunTee rep Loretta Francis who told us more about the inspiration behind the designs.
“The Bahamas is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures; nonetheless, we have strong African roots that are the foundation of many of our Bahamian traditions and culture, such as Junkanoo,” she says. “In 2017, it’s important to honour our heritage.
“We hope Bahamians realize the amazing strength we possess. When we are united, we can start a revolution. There is great power when we march together toward a common goal. Bahamians should continue to stand up for ourselves. Strength starts from within, and there also is strength in numbers.”
Loretta says the design team was inspired by one simple concept to boldly promote these images of Black power.
Change for The Bahamas was the inspiration for the 2017 Independence Day designs.
“Change is set into motion by strength and passion. These images fit the 2017 theme of change. It is important to study and celebrate the past and what makes us uniquely Bahamian. Knowledge and strength can lead to change.
“SunTee’s designs celebrate the uniqueness of Bahamian people, culture, environment, and lifestyle. SunTee is always stylish, always unique, and always BAHAMIAN. Our Independence designs are Bahamian culture, character and art on a canvas that just happens to be shirts, leggings, and dresses.”
The designs are so universal and powerful that they can be worn year round for anyone wanting to pay homage to their roots!
STAY WOKE!