“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Let me not even sugar coat it; that’s complete bullshit. I will allow this society to label me as “unpatriotic” or a “terrorist” if it wants to, but I will never celebrate the 4th of July, nor will I stand to pledge during the pledge of allegiance or sing during the national anthem. What am I putting my hand on my heart for? I’d rather put my fist in the air in honor of the hypocrisy this country represents. It does not make any sense for me to pledge to a flag that represents hypocrisy and lies and oppresses people of color. Colin Kaepernick said it best, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” I do not understand why people have a problem with people like myself being so called “unpatriotic.” Patriotism is defined as devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country. However, patriotism has a different meaning to everyone, and it is difficult to explain patriotism from a Black perspective. If you are white, of course you are going to have pride in this country because it supports YOU and YOU only. If you are a part of the military, the flag is going to be significant to you also, but just know, the flag has no significance for me, and it will never mean anything to me. I am not sorry for whoever feels disrespected by that statement because let’s be clear, not standing for the flag is not a form of disrespect to anyone. It’s simply using the American flag as a platform to bring awareness to the normality of oppression people of color in Amerikkka face every day. It is never about the military or the veterans, and it never will be, but society has tried to make it about them to draw people away from what the real issue is, which is more proof to how whitewashed this country is. The point is, patriotism is defined differently by your life and cultural experiences, so call me a terrorist and unpatriotic if you want, but one thing you can’t call me is ignorant.
This article was originally published on December 4th, 2017 on Tumblr.