As American celebrates the first official Juneteenth federal holiday, Grammy award-winning songstress Macy Gray thinks that the U.S. flag should be the next thing politicians overhaul.
“The Confederate battle flag, which was crafted as a symbol of opposition to the abolishment of slavery, is just recently tired. We don’t see it much anymore. However, on the 6th, when the stormers rained on the nation’s most precious hut, waving Old Glory — the memo was received: the American flag is its replacement,” Gray’s article begins.
She then calls on President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Congress to act, declaring that “the American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief.”
The summer of 2020 ignited a renewed push for racial justice, and while many see Juneteenth as a giant leap forward — some think it is nothing more than a tokenistic gesture.
The “I Try” singer seems to be one of the latter.
“God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag,” she writes.
Then Gray begins to break it down plainly for the doubters.
“Incorrect? Let’s look to the stars. There are 50, where there should be 52. D.C. and Puerto Rico have been lobbying for statehood for decades. Both have been denied, since statehood would allow each territory’s elected officials seats in the house.”
A point nobody can really argue against.
Of course, her op-ed has received mixed reactions. It is doubtful that a country divided over something as harmless as the teaching or Critical Race Theory will get rid of its old flag in the name of diversity and inclusion.
“What if the stripes were OFF-white? What if there were 52 stars to include D.C. and Puerto Rico? What if the stars were the colors of ALL of us — your skin tone and mine — like the melanin scale?” Gray muses. “The blue square represents vigilance and perseverance; and the red stripes stand for valor. America is all of those things. So, what if those elements on the flag remained? What if the flag looked like this?”
You can read the full article over at MarketWatch.
