As Philadelphia begins the countdown to the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, a vibrant new installation at the Parkway Central Library is asking a critical question: Whose stories are woven into the fabric of America, and whose voices are still waiting to be heard?

The project is helmed by Duwenavue Sante Johnson, a master embroiderer and lead artist with the Mason Art Stitch Collective. Under her guidance, the collective is reimagining the American flag not as a rigid icon, but as a "shared space" where thousands of individual stories converge through the act of stitching.

The Frankford Friends School community has already begun leaving its mark on this historic project. In the spring of 2025, Teacher Rae, Teacher Lily, and the FFS Class of ‘29 collaborated on custom bandanas that are now being integrated into the flag.

Using the FFS campus as their inspiration, students printed images reflecting their school environment and added layers of embroidery and painting to represent their own place in the city's story. This year’s fourth grade students will continue that work, adding new elements to the flag as it prepares for its grand presentation during the semiquincentennial celebrations this summer.

The "Wings and Water" flag serves as a powerful reminder that history is not just something we read in a book. It is something we create together, one stitch at a time.