Question of the Day:

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

Oh boy, I have a feeling this article is going to upset some. Sadly, sharing my own Black experiences as a Black woman in today’s culture is somehow offensive. It’s cool when they do it, it’s a problem when we do it. F*k ’em.

The short answer is ‘no’, I am not patriotic. Yes, I genuinely value the freedom I enjoy as a citizen of the United States. Yes, I love being able to go wherever I want, whenever I want. Yes, I am Black and proud, but patriotic I am not. The standard dictionary defines patriotism as a “love of country”, a feeling of attachment and commitment to a country, nation, or political community. How can I feel attached to a country that doesn’t value my flesh and blood?

Where do I start? Maybe when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and astonishingly found land that was already inhabited by indigenous people. Or perhaps during the 17th and 18th centuries, when my people were stolen from Africa, sold into slavery in the American colonies, and forced to work in the cotton, rice and tobacco fields under subhuman conditions. America has certainly made an effort to make amends. I believe it was when our “forefathers'” ratified the 14th Amendment, which was meant to grant my ancestors life and liberty but in actuality didn’t protect Black slaves or even mention Native Americans. Or was the turning point the promise of 40 acres and a mule in 1865 which was meant to make up for nearly 400 years of tyranny yet it still took another 99 years for Blacks and minorities to legitimately obtain civil rights? Fast forward to 2023, and the inequities in treatment of people of color is still a topic of discussion.

Who can love a place that is so divided? Go back to your country! Build that wall! Make America great again. Where’s the unity? How has America loved us in order for us to love her back? What’s even more alarming—or perhaps even mildly amusing—is the opposite, for patriotism is betrayal of trust (treachery). Doesn’t that sum up America perfectly? As Black Americans, our faith in the American justice system has repeatedly been shattered. American society would rather have you believe that Blacks and minorities commit more crimes than their white counterparts than take seriously any discussion of equal justice.

What patriotism should be is community. A shared community. It is more than simply flying a flag or donning red, white, and blue. For centuries, Black Americans and other minorities have been forced to establish their own communities where they can find safety and a feeling of belonging in a divided country. My allegiance stands within my community. Notice I did not say Black community. A community is founded on a shared connection rather than being exclusive to one race. I firmly believe that if America prioritized community over race and fully embraced the diversity that helped us rise to the top of the global economic rankings, we would truly become one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.