Old Glory's New Appeal To Blacks

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which may have killed close to 7,000 people, flag waving and public displays of patriotism can be seen all over the country. At baseball games, fans wave flags and sing "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch, and flags are draped outside homes and businesses.

And while historically African Americans have often felt ambivalent about expressions of patriotism, since September 11, 2001, like other US citizens, blacks have rallied around the flag and around their country.

"I think that the patriotism among black people that we are seeing is refreshing," said Jumoke Jones, a 27-year-old executive assistant at a large investment banking firm. "Some people are jumping on the bandwagon, but I think it is okay because this is the only time some people may be feeling that they are a part of the country."

For a younger generation of African Americans like Jones, now may be the first time they have felt such a level of identification and belonging in their national homeland. In the absence of national conflict, younger blacks have often felt like outsiders in America as they have had to deal with America's history of racial oppression and remnants of racial discrimination that are an everyday reality. But the terrorist attacks, which killed people of all racial backgrounds, religions and nationalities, have forced many African Americans to come to grips with their Americanness.

"Being an African American and dealing with racism from the age of nine, I never considered myself an authentic American, whatever that is," said Adisa Banjako, a hip-hop journalist. "As I learned more about my African heritage and my religion, which is Islam, I felt even more alienated from whatever the essence of what America is. But I realized that on the day of the bombing, had I been on the plane, my blackness and Islamicness were negated and I would have been just as dead as everyone else."

While still a critic of some US policies, Banjako said he has become a full-fledged American as a result of the attack, a transformation shared by countless other blacks who may have grudges against American policy, but who have decided to bury their antagonism for the good of the country.

"It has been rather refreshing for people to put aside differences and for people to rally around things we have together, such as family and faith," said Kweisi Mfume, head of the NAACP on Fox News. "It has united all of our country."

While the national crisis has united most Americans, some African Americans have questioned America's commitment to freedom and justice in light of its historic mistreatment of blacks and some of its foreign policies. And many blacks who take pride in their nationality and pledge to defend their country have expressed reservations about America's march towards war. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) cast the lone congressional vote against granting the President backing in the war effort, and prominent African American writer Michael Eric Dyson has said that while he supports bringing those responsible for the attacks to justice, "declaring war on Afghanistan is as corrupt as the original act of aggression."

And in one Florida County, three black firefighters were suspended when they expressed reservations about displaying an American flag on their truck. "What the flag means to white America is totally different from what it means to myself," one of the firefighters told a local newspaper. "As a black man in the country, as someone being subjugated, as my ancestors who have been mistreated so, of course I have reservations about the American flag." Though their reasons for objecting to displaying the flag are disputed (they say the flag was obstructing their view), the three firefighters have been ostracized and threatened because of their objections.

"You have freedom here as long as it goes along with the program," lamented one.

Some African Americans, like Boots of the rap group The Coup, attribute many African Americans' uncritical embrace of patriotism to the emotional fervor of this specific moment in American history, when Americans reeling from the worst terrorist attack in US history are standing united in a passionate display of patriotism that may ultimately be fleeting.

"For the first time in my life and I didn't expect to see this...Black people standing on the overpass on one of the freeways in Oakland waving the American flag," said Boots. "It's because of all of this hype."

However, the wave of patriotism sweeping across the black community is not new. In fact, blacks have patriotically rallied behind America during every war and crisis in its history. Crispus Attucks, a black patriot, was the first to die in the Boston Massacre of 1770, one of the first battles in the war for American independence, and more than 5,000 -- both free blacks and slaves -- ultimately joined the Continental Army, while many others served in local militias. And although blacks were initially barred from armed service, and America's armed forces remained segregated until the 1940s, black soldiers have fought and supported every major American military campaign.

"During America's wars, black protest has always given way to black patriotism," writes syndicated columnist Dr. Earl Ofari Hutchinson. "During World War I, black scholar and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, in a Crisis magazine editorial, rallied blacks to the flag with a call to close ranks and forget their racial grievances. They flocked to a segregated army in droves. Patriotic fever among blacks soared during World War II."

Throughout World War II, black newspapers led the "Double V" campaign, which called for Victory against fascism abroad and racism at home. Blacks supported the war by joining the military and by buying millions of dollars of war bonds, which helped fund the war. And while black soldiers returning from abroad still had to contend with segregation and racism at home, African American willingness to serve and die in America's wars helped to reinforce the calls for the rights of full citizenship and an end to Jim Crow.

More recently, with the ending of official segregation and the removal of many of the racial barriers that blacks have faced in America, younger blacks like Jumoke Jones do not have any problem wearing their patriotism on their sleeves.

Jones, who has lived outside of the United States in Europe for a time, has come to peace with America. She said that despite the racial problems and attitudes black people have to deal with, "most black people don't realize how great a country we live in."

Columnist and essayist Stanley Crouch agrees. "America is one of the greatest countries in the world in terms of the possibilities that are available to the people in its society," said Crouch. "You got people who advocated the violent overthrow of the United States in the 1960s, who are now tenured college professors at American universities. Do you think that anyone who would have advocated the violent overthrow of China or Cuba 20 years ago would be teaching in those countries now?"

While acknowledging America's history of injustice towards blacks, Crouch said that black Americans should not have any shame in being patriotic, especially since many social movements that improved the country have been led by African Americans. "A good deal of what makes America great, black people were a part of that," said Crouch. "Including the winning of the Civil War that brought chattel slavery to a halt."

He said that blacks' actions been a powerful force for progress. "I am 56 years old, and we are talking about a country in which black people made it possible for us to have an Oprah Winfrey," said Crouch. "This did not come by luck. This was the result of blacks changing America."

Dennis Rahim Watson, president of the National Black Youth Leadership Council, agrees that patriotism is a positive, but he worries that the current wave of black patriotism is a "false form of patriotism."

"A flag is a symbolic gesture if there isn't any follow-through," said Watson. "The genuine patriots are the people who do all the work all of the time."

He cited groups such as the 100 Black Men and others, and said that he hopes that the current waves of charity and volunteerism will continue after people finish dealing with the grief of the terrorist attacks.

The one positive side effect of the terrorist attacks on America, many say, might be a renewed sense of community, solidarity and empathy.

"This will bring America closer because we were all affected," said Banjako. "We are all in mourning."

But I realized that on the day of the bombing, had I been on the plane, my blackness and Islamicness were negated and I would have been just as dead as everyone else."

That's right. So much for the socialist notions of 'all the oppressed peoples of the world have to unite'! The terrorists just want to kill Americans-it doesn't matter what color, creed or nationality.

But I realized that on the day of the bombing, had I been on the plane, my blackness and Islamicness were negated and I would have been just as dead as everyone else."

Keeping the races at each others' throat is the oldest Communist style trick in the book. Why else do we see the useful idiot media constantly dredging up stories from decades ago about how blacks were mistreated but continue to ignore the fact that blacks commit approx. 80-90% of all inter-racial crimes in today's society. I'm 50 and when I went to college blacks got more scholarship $ than anyone. When I started my business a banker told me the only way to get fed'l guaranteed loans was to be a black female. My point is that I have tremendous respect for those blacks who understand the concept of "value for value" and have attained a certain status. For those still crying about "the man" holding them down, well they can kiss my @$$.

..Jesse Jackson's attempt to carry out what can only be interpreted as a separatist "Black" foreign policy in opposition to that of the administration's, is a nasty symbol and very worrisome to me...

Slight correction- Jesse's foreign policy is his and his alone. I never heard or read one black person ask him to do anything about it or care much about his opinion on the matter. Support for him within the black community is always mixed.

I can definitely corroborate an increased patriotic fervor in the black community since 9/11. Hopefully, it will turn into some positive moves to wean blacks away from victim politics.

Fantastic observation. Does that mean the idea of reparations goes by the wayside????

Probably not for some but it has receded in importance since 9/11. I have, though, heard a few blacks say they'll fight if they get reparations. IMO, that isn't the reason to fight but that's how they feel.

RayBob, there are several good points in your post that I could highlight and respond to but I'll just take one for now:

..That's just it...most blacks are good,decent, hardworking people. Hell, I don't have to tell you that... But unless you work or live with these folks, you don't get to see it. There are many whites who don't see it (and in some case refuse to see it). In some cases its just a matter of exposure.

Yes, and when all you are exposed to is the news or most of what passes for entertainment, you are likely to come away feeling negative about blacks. If you are not exposed to other blacks you will lean more towards lumping all blacks in the same category. When the day comes that you meet a black person who is contrary to some belief you have about them don't be too surprised and don't try to put that person back into the box of some stereotype or another. That is the surest way to alienate that black person and make him or her feel that maybe the blacks who cling to victimology are right.

Basically, I feel what you have posted is true and no, you are not being arrogant. Quite the contrry, I feel you have tried to understand things a little better and I must give you credit for that.

Slight correction- Jesse's foreign policy is his and his alone.

Point taken. But I haven't heard any Black leaders disavowing him and his tactics. Maybe I'm just not aware of same but I stay pretty tuned-in. If that debate is going on within the ranks of Black organizations, their leaders need to start speaking out.

Unfortunate that your neighbor feels that way.

I sometimes wonder if it's a generational thing. I have been working side-by-side with many African-Americans for years, and I've found that those who are now in their 50's and even 60's are the salt of the earth. In fact, until he retired, the democratically elected president of our local union was an African-American, as were three out of five members of the negotiating committee. This in a shop that is 90% white males.

This is the generation that experienced real racism and discrimination, but they show no bitterness - they speak eloquently and movingly of "the struggle", and they're just happy that things have changed so much for the better. Many of their children, however, are of a different mindset. It pains these hard-working older blacks to see their kids feel like they're owed something, and that they're constantly looking to find discrimination and racism where none exists.

Slight correction- Jesse's foreign policy is his and his alone.

You and I might wish that black leaders would start criticizing JJ over this (or anything else) if they don't agree with him but it isn't likely for a couple of reasons:

1. With some exceptions, black leadership doesn't spend a lot of time publicly disavowing each other. One reason is that there is a belief that black folks should keep such disagreements behind closed doors.

2. They feel JJ is not speaking for them so why bother. Some of them don't think JJ has enough of a real following to matter.

3. They don't want to be pressured to condemn JJ just because they are black.

Now the clear exception to this is black conservative leadership but even most of them don't spend a lot of time criticizing JJ, Al, and those like them. Jesse Peterson is the most notable exceptions.

Why does this happen? IMO, one reason is because even black conservatives don't want their criticisms of other black leaders used to peg them as "self-hating," "Uncle Toms," etc.

Maybe all of the above makes for a stifling enviroment but that's the way I see things right now.

One reason is that there is a belief that black folks should keep such disagreements behind closed doors.

mafree, thanks for the great post - I've seen the renewed patriotism in the black community as well, and it warms my heart. In fact, the "best" patriotic display I've seen so far was Sept. 12, where a flag of a size that might have once draped someone's coffin was displayed at a black home on my way to work - now THAT is meaning.

Speaking to the issue of Jesse Jackson, I think part of the problem is the media - if you watch television, (and especially if you also don't talk to very many black folks) you'd think that JJ spoke for all black people, and most or all of them agreed with him.

I think I understand your point about "even black conservatives don't want their criticisms of other black leaders used to peg them as "self-hating," "Uncle Toms," etc." but I wonder if, to an extent, they are not depriving the young people of other points of view and other role models? Or do these differing viewpoints get more of an airing within the black community?

Yesterday some of my (high school aged) black students were very surprised to find that President Bush's National Security Advisor is a very attractive & intelligent black lady named Condoleeza Rice. The kids were impressed - I was surprised they didn't know that already.

You are right. The media does contribute to the problem by not airing an alternate black viewpoint. It also doesn't help when many, especially whites whose day-to-day contact with a cross-section of black folks is limited, come away assuming that all blacks agree with JJ or let JJ speak for them.

Part of the problem here is the tendency of many to believe that there is or should be one "black leader." A lot of people don't take time to examine the differences even among some black "leaders" like JJ, Sharpton, Farrakhan, the NAACP, etc.

IMO, the best thing is to not assume that a black person accepts any particular person as a leader unless he or she sends a clear signal that it is so.

One reason why so many of your students may not have heard of Condi is because she mostly appears on the news or on news shows and your students may not be watching them. I think she should do what Colin Powell has done and seek/accept speaking engagements in the schools.

Part of the problem here is the tendency of many to believe that there is or should be one "black leader."

Again, I think the media contributes heavily to that problem - when a diversity of black opinions isn't presented - and when people continually hear that black people tend to vote 90% Democratic, I think people who aren't around many black people tend to think they all think alike.

IMO, the best thing is to not assume that a black person accepts any particular person as a leader unless he or she sends a clear signal that it is so.

You're correct of course.

I think [Condi Rice] should do what Colin Powell has done and seek/accept speaking engagements in the schools.

That's a great idea! I wonder if she'd come if she were invited?? (I intend to find out if our school will invite her!)

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