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Black Flag (newspaper)
Encyclopedia
Black Flag is the name of a number of anarchist periodicals, most notably the British
anarchist
bi-annual magazine
Black Flag, mainly known for its coverage of international anarchist politics
as well as supporting "class war
" prison
ers.
Black Flag was founded by Albert Meltzer
and Stuart Christie
in 1970, with the name of the periodical being drawn from the traditional anarchist symbol
dating back to the 1880s.
It has gone through several format changes between magazine and newspaper, including a period in which it concentrated on investigative journalism. In more recent times, it has evolved into an analytical periodical for the anarchist movement in the UK. The magazine was temporarily suspended as a going operation in 2006 while its future, then in an annual format, was discussed. A new edition came out in time for the London Anarchist Bookfair
for 2007, featuring a new look, and a range of new and classic articles.
Since 2008, Black Flag has remained a bi-annual 40 page magazine, publishing a May Day
edition and one timed for the London Anarchist Bookfair. Alongside regular features from Anarchist FAQ author Iain McKay, Freedom international editor Rob Ray and reviewer Ade Dimmick.
The magazine collective has good relations with the majority of Britain's largest anarchist groups, having featured articles from members of the Solidarity Federation
, No Border network
and others. Black Flag maintains a loose editorial line of class-struggle anarchism and follows a right-to-reply policy in which disagreeing parties are allowed to make short counterpoints within contentious items.
anarchist paper was published under the name Le Drapeau Noir (The Black Flag) from August 1883 for 17 issues before being suppressed by the French state. The Japan
ese anarchist group Black Youth League (formed 1925) started publishing a journal named Kurohata in 1945; Kurohata translates to Black Flag.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
bi-annual magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Black Flag, mainly known for its coverage of international anarchist politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
as well as supporting "class war
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
" prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
ers.
Black Flag was founded by Albert Meltzer
Albert Meltzer
Albert Meltzer was an anarcho-communist activist and writer.-Early life:Meltzer was born in London, and attracted to anarchism at the age of fifteen as a direct result of taking boxing lessons . The Labour MP for Edmonton, Edith Summerskill was virulently anti-boxing and his school governors at...
and Stuart Christie
Stuart Christie
Stuart Christie is a Scottish anarchist writer and publisher. Christie is best known for being arrested as an 18-year old while carrying explosives to assassinate the Spanish dictator General Franco. He was later alleged to be a member of the Angry Brigade, but was acquitted of related charges...
in 1970, with the name of the periodical being drawn from the traditional anarchist symbol
Anarchist symbolism
While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of symbols to political movement, they have embraced certain symbols for their cause, including most prominently the circle-A and the black flag...
dating back to the 1880s.
It has gone through several format changes between magazine and newspaper, including a period in which it concentrated on investigative journalism. In more recent times, it has evolved into an analytical periodical for the anarchist movement in the UK. The magazine was temporarily suspended as a going operation in 2006 while its future, then in an annual format, was discussed. A new edition came out in time for the London Anarchist Bookfair
Anarchist Bookfair
The Anarchist Bookfair is the name of several annual anarchist book fairs.The British Bookfair started in 1983, and it has become the largest anarchist event in the British calendar, and is a combination of stalls, talks and workshops by anarchist groups and campaigns.Most British anarchist groups...
for 2007, featuring a new look, and a range of new and classic articles.
Since 2008, Black Flag has remained a bi-annual 40 page magazine, publishing a May Day
International Workers' Day
International Workers' Day is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries...
edition and one timed for the London Anarchist Bookfair. Alongside regular features from Anarchist FAQ author Iain McKay, Freedom international editor Rob Ray and reviewer Ade Dimmick.
The magazine collective has good relations with the majority of Britain's largest anarchist groups, having featured articles from members of the Solidarity Federation
Solidarity Federation
The Solidarity Federation, also known by the abbreviation SolFed, is a federation of class struggle anarchists active in Britain. The organisation advocates a strategy of anarcho-syndicalism as a method of abolishing capitalism and the state...
, No Border network
No Border network
The No Border Network refers to loose associations of autonomous organisations, groups, and individuals in Western Europe, Eastern Europe and beyond...
and others. Black Flag maintains a loose editorial line of class-struggle anarchism and follows a right-to-reply policy in which disagreeing parties are allowed to make short counterpoints within contentious items.
Other Black Flag publications
Historically, there have been other Black Flag periodicals published by anarchists. A FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
anarchist paper was published under the name Le Drapeau Noir (The Black Flag) from August 1883 for 17 issues before being suppressed by the French state. The Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anarchist group Black Youth League (formed 1925) started publishing a journal named Kurohata in 1945; Kurohata translates to Black Flag.
External links
- Black Flag text archive online in the libcom.org library
- Official Website