Forward Madison FC is launching its first pre-match top in celebration of Juneteenth, designed by Madison artist Brooklyn Doby with input from members of the Featherstone Flamingos – an inclusive group of Forward fans that celebrates Black culture.
During the month of June, 25 percent of all proceeds from this top will be donated to the Progress Center for Black Women.
“Featherstone is proud to partner with FMFC and Brooklyn on the design,” said Kyle Carr, a founding member of the Featherstone Flamingos, in a press release. “We feel it’s important to highlight Black voices, issues, and celebrations both in Madison and beyond. The Progress Center for Black Women does amazing work for Black women in the Madison community and we hope these contributions will get them closer to achieving their goal of creating more empowered leaders.”
This is the second top that Forward Madison has commissioned local artistic representation in collaboration with Featherstone Flamingos. During the 2020 season, FMFC wore a Black Lives Matter warm-up top all season long, designed by Mike LeRoy with proceeds benefiting YWCA. Featherstone Flamingos and Forward Madison FC have a long-standing collaboration on charitable merchandise pieces around Black History Month as well.
Brooklyn Doby is a painter, muralist, and an Edgewood College art therapy graduate who is passionate about creating art that represents women of color and highlights African American beauty, according to a press release from Foward Madison. In honor of Juneteenth, Doby chose to create a design that captures the essence of family, culture, strength, and ancestral roots. Her intentional use of the colors red, green, black and yellow symbolizes the blood shed of those who fought for the liberation of Black people and the prosperity of Africa
“I am very thankful to Forward Madison for providing a platform for underrepresented artists in the community to be able to share their stories and to create space for so many diverse cultures and diasporas to be spotlighted,” said Doby. “This has been yet another amazing opportunity in my artist career to show my children, future generations, and others who look like me; that their dreams aren’t as unreachable as they may seem.”
The Juneteenth Top is available for purchase now online or in the Flamboyance Team Store starting Wednesday, June 18, at the FMFC Juneteenth Celebration Match at 7 p.m.
