Movement of the Flag

Movement of the Flag is one of an ongoing series of pieces by Dial that testifies to the role black men have played in providing essential labor for American business. A large root forms a mule, a busboy balancing trays on his arms. He is painted gold, with red, white, and blue—the black man is the "root" of the American economy. The simulated "movement of the flag"—curled, shredded fast-food containers—also form faces representing the "big men," the bosses, who are being supported by the golden mule.