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Scattered Worlds (series of novels)

Last modified: 2017-11-04 by peter hans van den muijzenberg
Keywords: scattered worlds | dance for the ivory madonna | umoja economic union | sakers (don) | garvey |
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Introduction

Dance for the Ivory Madonna is a 2002 science fiction novel by the American writer Don Sakers, the first part of a series called Scattered Worlds. Set in 2042, it takes place mostly in the United States and in the Umoja Economic Union
Eugene Ipavec, 23 July 2010


Umoja Economic Union

[Umoja flag]
image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 July 2010

The Umoja Economic Union is a major world power, although not realy a state – more closely resembling the European Community (pre-European Union): a common market and currency/customs union.) Umoja ("unity" in Swahili) encompasses most of Africa, except Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopa and Angola.

In a visit to Lisala, Congo, the protagonist observes that

A handful of flags, including Umoja's black, green, and red, flutter above the building.

(first paperback edition, page 111)

Notably these are not the pan-African colors (red, yellow, green) but the "Garvey colors" of black Americans. This actually makes sense in the context of the setting, where Umoja is in large part established as a consequence of the economic growth spurred by large-scale (partially involuntary) emigration of black Americans from the US, after the latter is messily partitioned during a constitutional crisis in 2023. However the order of colors is different: the Garvey flag is red-black-green.
Eugene Ipavec, 23 July 2010

Fictional flag similar to the Garvey flag.