New poll examines why many Black Americans don’t display the American flag
TheGrio...
Researchers found only 22% of Black adults view the flag as a unifying symbol, compared with higher shares among other groups.
A new poll is shedding light on why a majority of Black Americans choose not to fly the American flag, with many pointing to the symbol’s mixed legacy when it comes to race in the country.
The survey, conducted by the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday, found that views of the flag split sharply along lines of race, age and political affiliation.
The AP reported that just about three in ten Black adults say they ever display the flag, compared with roughly half of white and Hispanic adults surveyed. Matthew Delmont, a professor of American history at Dartmouth College, told the outlet that the divide reflects how differently the flag is interpreted across communities.
“A lot of Black Americans see the flag as a symbol of both inclusion and exclusion,” Delmont said, adding that the symbol has historically also been “used to justify a version of patriotism that is rooted in exclusion.”
Among those who don’t fly the flag is Yvonne Pistochini, a 79 year old Detroit resident who said the version of the country represented by the flag isn’t one she recognizes from her own life.
According to the AP‘s reporting, Pistochini pushed back on the idea that displaying the flag is automatically a sign of patriotism. “Just because you fly a flag doesn’t make you a patriot,” she said. “If there was patriotism, we would not have all this.”
The poll also found that only 22% of Black adults view the flag as a unifying symbol, a notably lower share than the 55% of white adults and 42% of Hispanic adults who said the same.
Allison Wiltz, a Black author and founder of Writers and Editors of Color, explained to the Associated Press why that gap exists. “It’s a painful symbol,” Wiltz said. “It’s a reminder of what we could be and how it’s failed to live up to that for Black people, for Indigenous people and people of color.”
Not every Black respondent shared that view, the Associated Press noted, pointing to Detroit resident Jerry Esters, who flies three flags outside his home in honor of his family’s history, including his great great grandmother who was born into slavery.
Still, the broader survey results suggest his perspective remains the exception among Black Americans rather than the rule.