Has the American Flag Become Synonymous With Conservativism?
The American flag has never meant just one thing.
Throughout American history, it has represented revolution and resistance, exclusion and inclusion, war and protest, patriotism and dissent. In the 1840s, it became a symbol for anti-immigration movements. During the Civil War, it was used by both anti- and pro-slavery causes. By the 1890s, flag ceremonies and the newly written Pledge of Allegiance became part of efforts to "Americanize" millions of new immigrants. During the Vietnam War, many viewed the flag as a pro-war symbol, while others reclaimed it as a reminder that dissent itself is part of the American tradition.
The meaning of the flag has never been settled because the meaning of America has never been settled.
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Patriotism Isn't Obedience. It's Living Up to the Promise.
Patriotism has always included dissent. One of the greatest misunderstandings about patriotism is the belief that it requires unquestioning support for those in power. History tells a different story.
The American Revolution itself was an act of resistance. The founders challenged authority because they believed the government exists to protect the rights of its people.
Throughout American history, progress has often come from citizens willing to question injustice, organize their communities, and demand that the country live up to its own ideals. That isn't a rejection of America. It's participation in one of its oldest traditions. And we still have much work to do.
All Men (and Women?) Are Created Equal
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
-The Declaration of Independence, 1776
The phrase "all men are created equal" is one of the most recognizable expressions of American ideals, yet opinions are mixed on whether the U.S. ever lived up to this standard from the start. Perhaps that's because 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves, and slavery wouldn't end in the United States until over a century later in 1865. Or maybe it's the fact that women were still considered a man's property and weren't granted the right to vote or own property themselves until well into the 1900s.
"We the People" have been fighting to make the ideal that all are equal a reality ever since it was penned into our founding documents 250 years ago. Throughout American history, expanding liberty has required people willing to challenge the status quo. The Civil Rights Movement challenged segregation and racial discrimination. Women fought for the right to vote and own property. Disability advocates demanded equal access. The LGBTQ+ community fought for legal recognition and protection.
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Liberty and Justice For ALL
The United States Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, included the phrase "with liberty and justice for all," to foster national unity and emphasize a collective promise to ensure equality, civil rights, and non-discrimination for all citizens. Yet, this promise has never fully become a reality.
Today, conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continue that same work. At its core, DEI is about ensuring equal access, creating opportunities, and removing barriers so the promise of liberty and justice reaches more people, not fewer. It asks whether our institutions, workplaces, schools, and communities reflect the ideals we proudly celebrate as Americans.
Each generation has expanded the meaning of liberty by insisting that the nation's founding principles belong to everyone. And yet, the current administration has taken us backward by declaring a war on DEI through a series of executive orders intended to dismantle the progress we have made toward equality and liberty for all in the U.S. This conversation must be top of mind as we celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary over backyard barbecues this Fourth of July.
Wear Your Values
Reclaim the red, white, and blue all year long with patriotic messages about resistance and inclusion. Because patriotism isn't about pretending America has always been perfect. It's about believing it's always worth becoming better.