Has the American Flag taken the place of the Confederate Flag?
I was nervous for my recently scheduled trip to Florida; I take COVID precautions seriously. Once in the Sunshine state, I was relieved to see most Floridians I encountered did in fact wear masks, practiced social distancing measures and were concerned about COVID’s impact. I also noticed something else: numerous people, mostly white men, standing in lines with masks depicting the American flag. Seeing those masks forced a visceral thought, one I didn’t know was consciously there:“Does this person believe that I’m part of the America they would define it to be?”
I have a long history with the National FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) Organization, one of the nation’s largest youth organizations that prepares students for leadership and careers in the science, business and the technology of agriculture. Given my background, I’ve grown familiar with the swaying back and forth and laser light show at conventions while the song “Proud to be an American” played in the background. Years ago perhaps, if I saw someone wear an American flag hat or shirt, I would have assumed they were likely either from the southern part of the country, a rural community, or were connected to the armed forces. Yet now, see those American flag masks and hats immediately invoked a different question:
“Has the American flag taken the place of the Confederate Flag?”
The thought felt crazy initially, but as I shared this experience with people of color, I found many shared the same viewpoint or even consciously had the thought before. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the flag’s history with elders in the Black community; it holds strong connections to racial injustice, slavery, Jim Crow and other dark chapters of the American story. But this feeling is different: the American flag has become associated with one political viewpoint and in turn, definingly one race.
By now, we all know Trump’s campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again’’. How many people stopped to question exactly what part of American history we believed was great enough that we should return? There’s an underlying message in this slogan that brings up images of the ’50s and ’60s, or perhaps even earlier — a time when there were people who did not have the rights and privileges that we have today, in particular women, Blacks, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.
Wednesday, January 6, showed us just how much the flag has evolved. As the Capitol was stormed and desecrated, many protesters were waving the star spangled banner in conjunction with Trump and Blue Lives Matter variants, as well as the Confederate Flag. Being flown along side a symbol of literal seditionists defeated in the name of the union, the flag was violated, defaced and disrespected on a global stage, but to the supporters of the insurrection, this was patriotism; a revolution against supposed thieves and oligarchs who were disenfranchising anyone who supported Trump, the great defender of the “common man”. Perhaps the viewpoint is summed up best by the numerous rioters who were heard saying to police officers “We’re on your side! We’re here for you!”
During his two month long refusal to concede, the president’s campaign called out certain urban areas such as Detroit, Atlanta and Philadelphia as the places where fraud allegedly occurred — also known as the areas where most African Americans reside and vote. “Fraudulent votes” are really Black votes, which under this logic, should not count. And somehow, the false narrative of a stolen election was tied to people more likely to be waving the American flag, which has led many of us to believe that this was more than just a message about verifying votes; it’s a message about who gets to be an American, and who defines what patriotism is.
To be clear: I am not classifying people with conservative values or even those that voted for Trump in 2020 as being racist. This is about the narrative of belief, and in this case, the belief that if one person or group is provided assistance or attention, it means the other group loses out. Although not expressed openly, who many people in our country believe that progress for people of color must come at a price for white people.
At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the makeup of the people who demonstrated, rioted and caused destruction on January 6. If you compare these images to ones from Black Lives Matter rallies and Marches this past June, one clearly had a much greater level of gender, ethnic, sexual orientation and identity representation than the other. You will notice that the American flag was also tied more to one of these demonstrations than the other. How can anyone look at these two sets of images and ignore the difference in message and goals given the representation?
It’s frightening to see and hear some Jan. 6 attendees admit that they got “carried away” or engaged in activities that surprised even themselves. But was it the energy of the crowds, or what the crowds represented that drew them into the fray?. Amy Cooper, the woman in Central Park who called the police on a Black man in May 2020, was later embarrassed and remorseful for her statement “I am being threatened by a man in the Ramble, please send the cops immediately!” — especially seeing her actions played back time and again on TV and social media. The challenge for her, in that moment, was that she was capable of saying and doing the things that she did because perhaps she believed part of what she said. It demonstrated how she feels about a Black man’s life despite her stated political beliefs; it demonstrated her unconscious belief in who gets to be an American.
Hate crimes surged nearly 20 percent during the previous administration according to a new FBI report on hate crime statistics. The report also shows that hate-motivated murders, largely committed by white supremacists, spiked to their highest number in 28 years. No statistics show white Americans are losing jobs or opportunities directly due to diversity, but the underlying message of “Make America Great” appears to constantly suggest this, and it’s causing real damage.
It’s time to challenge the belief that others do not deserve the same rights, advantages, support and privileges as others. It’s time to challenge the idea of what American Patriotism means. And when your friends, colleagues and neighbors see certain people with an American flag in their front yard or on an article of clothing, whether intentional or not, realize that a message is being conveyed.
The flag is for all.
-Corey
Edited by Mike Tepeli
