Designed by Gafye Reissland

Explanation of the Logo

 The logo includes eight seeds planted in a heart held by the hands of Christ, beneath a tree with eight leaves, which bears the body of Christ.

The eight seeds represent the eight principles the participants in Congress IX were commissioned to complete. Congress IX directed participants to return to their communities and implement these principles, or rather plant the seed. The seeds are held in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which feeds and nourishes them through his blood. The seeds feed into the Acacia tree, a tree found in Africa that is known for its long life and has survived horrendous conditions, just as we have – as a people of the African Diaspora, during the Middle passage, slavery, the civil rights struggle and still today. The leaves are the fruition of our work in planting the seeds and cultivating them. Christ’s body is present in the center because He is the center of the work we do. His pierced hands hold the heart and the entire composition not only as a reminder that He is holding us up and that He is with us always, but also as a reminder that being a Christian – an African American Catholic Christian – ‘ain’t’ always easy, but the rewards are heavenly. The crest also bears the words: Remember our Past; Planting the Seed, Nurturing the Future.