nisha@boldmindsacademy.com

What Does Soulaan Mean?

← Back to Black America on the map
Black America · Names and identity

What does Soulaan mean?

Soulaan flag

Learn about a name some Black Americans choose for themselves. Explore how its creators explain the term, the experiences it seeks to name, and why other people may use different identities.

2020the year the name first spread on social media
Soulthe first part of the name, honoring Black American culture
2024the year the Soulaan flag was introduced
240+years of Black Americans naming and renaming themselves
The name

Where the word comes from.

Soulaan was created in 2020 by T-Roy Parks, Maroc Wallace, and Dwayne Coleman, and it spread through TikTok, Instagram, and community conversations online.12

Its founders explain the name as Soul plus A for Autochthonous American. “Soul” points to Black American cultural expression, from soul food to soul music. The creators use this phrase to emphasize longstanding American roots.1 The first spelling was “Soulan” with one A. About a year later, a second A was added.2

Who it describes

A cultural name, not a race.

Supporters describe Soulaan as the name of a cultural group: Black Americans whose lineage traces to people enslaved in the United States, and whose families have lived here for centuries.13

The idea is not to leave Africa behind. Supporters say the name claims American roots without disowning African ones, and that it centers Black Americans as builders of this country’s culture, not only as survivors of injustice.12

Why people choose it

The power of naming yourself.

Self-chosen

Many people like that this name came from the community itself, not from outsiders or official forms.1

A specific story

It honors one particular lineage within the diaspora: families shaped by generations in the American South and beyond.1

Culture first

It puts soul at the center: the food, music, faith, language, and style Black Americans created.1

A long tradition

We have always named ourselves.

Soulaan is part of a long story. For more than two centuries, Black Americans have debated and chosen the words that describe them.4

  1. 1782The earliest known use of “African American” appears in a sermon.
  2. 1800sMany communities call themselves “African,” and later “Colored.”
  3. 1900sLeaders push for “Negro” with a capital N as a word of dignity.
  4. 1960s“Black” rises with the Black Power movement and the idea that Black is beautiful.
  5. 1980sJesse Jackson and others champion “African American.”
  6. 2020“Soulaan” begins to spread online.
The Soulaan flag

A flag with a story stitched in.

The Soulaan flag was introduced on August 9, 2024, and designed by Maroc Wallace. According to its creators, it builds on the Black American Heritage Flag, created in 1967 by Melvin Charles and Gleason T. Jackson, and adds the stripes and indigo field of the U.S. flag.1

Its golden sword and wreath honor Grace Wisher.1 In 1810, Grace, a free Black girl about 10 years old, began an apprenticeship with Baltimore flagmaker Mary Pickersgill. She is believed to have helped sew the giant 1813 flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner.”5

Flags of Black America

  • Black American Heritage FlagBlack American Heritage Flag, 1967
  • Soulaan flagSoulaan flag, 2024
An open conversation

Not everyone uses the same name.

People continue to discuss Soulaan and its meaning. People are asking who gets to define the name, who can claim it, and how it can stay true to the community as it becomes more popular.2

Many Black Americans still prefer Black or African American, and many say the label matters less than the people. When Gallup asked in 2007, 61% of Black Americans said it didn’t matter to them which term was used.6

At BOLD Minds, we respect the names people choose for themselves. Some Black Americans use Soulaan; others prefer Black American, African American, Gullah Geechee, or another identity. We also honor the distinct identities of continental African, Caribbean, and other diaspora communities. Learning together does not require everyone to share one name or identity.

Learn together

Talk about it at home.

  1. What names does your family use to describe who you are? Ask an elder which words they grew up hearing.
  2. Why do you think it matters to people to choose their own name?
  3. Grace Wisher was about your age when she helped sew a famous flag. What would you put on a flag about your family?
  4. “Soul” is in soul food and soul music. What does soul mean to you?
Explore Black America on the mapMeet the Gullah Geechee
Sources

Read more.

  1. “Soulaan. The Breakthrough Ethnonym That Has Taken Over Social Media.” Press release from Soulaan.com, via Yahoo Finance, February 2025. finance.yahoo.com Also see “The Origin and Evolution of Soulaan,” soulaan.com.
  2. “Soulaan: Naming a People, Reclaiming a Legacy.” The Metro Record, May 8, 2026. themetrorecord.com
  3. “Soulaan: Soul People and Heritage.” The Voyager. hfvoyager.com
  4. “African American and Black Identity and Research Terms.” Chicago History Museum Research Center. libguides.chicagohistory.org
  5. “Grace Wisher.” Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, National Park Service. nps.gov
  6. “Black or African American?” Gallup, September 28, 2007. news.gallup.com

As Soulaan grows, most writing about it so far comes from its founders, community writers, and news outlets rather than peer-reviewed research. Details about its meaning and flag come from the movement’s own descriptions. If you see something we should add or correct, please contact us.