Speak On It!

Join Janice Gilyard and Cherekana Feliciano for a conversation with Joy Charles Kay regarding the Black American Heritage Flag. Melvin Charles, an Elizabeth, New Jersey Native, co-designed the Black American heritage flag along with his friend, Gleason T. Jackson, in 1967. After the untimely death of Jackson, Charles continued to work tirelessly to make the flag a significant piece of living history for Black America. He wrote the book ?The Rallying Point? to share his journey, from the concept and design of the flag to the often difficult and sometimes heartbreaking work of promoting and sharing the flag with the public. He appeared at hundreds of meetings, conferences, conventions, churches, and schools along the East Coast, and as far west as California, as well as making television and radio appearances. He was also a talented musician, photographer, and painter who worked for several years in the field of design-display. He served in the United States Navy, receiving an Honorable Discharge. Melvin Charles passed away in 2017. Joy Charles Kay spent her undergraduate years at Rutgers University where she earned a BA in Political Science and English. She completed her graduate degree at Montclair State University where she studied Counseling with a focus on Administration and Supervision. She is currently the Executive Director of Montclair Shared Housing Association, which owns and operates The Montclair Inn. The only daughter of the late Melvin Charles, the co-designer of The Black American Heritage Flag, and the late Ernestine Pryor Charles, the former Director of Pre-Trial Intervention in Union County, NJ. Ms. Charles Kay is the President of The Black American Heritage Flag, LLC. This company's mission is to establish and maintain the legacy of The Black American Heritage Flag.