Patriotism is a word that suffuses much of America’s political lexicon. Its exact definition can also frustrate and escape most citizens. Certainly, pro-American displays are more than just political dissent, ostentatious flag-waving or canned expressions of support for the military. Broadly defined, any definition of patriotism should include genuine love for the United States, and respect for its traditions and institutions.
As the country celebrates its 234th birthday, it affords an opportunity to explore some of the reasons why love of country is seldom associated with the African-American community. Conventional wisdom suggests an uneasy coexistence between black political consciousness and the concept of patriotism. Naturally, the most frequently cited reasons are the country’s contentious history with racism and institutionalized discrimination.
The most common physical manifestation of patriotism is donning a military uniform. Although some lament the lack of field-grade officers in the Armed Forces’ upper echelon, blacks have ample reasons to be proud: African-Americans are 13 percent of the U.S. population, but they comprise 17 percent of the nation’s active duty forces in the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard. (Your correspondent is himself an Army veteran, and has a sister who is also on active-duty.) And examples of the sacrifices of black veterans are interspersed throughout military history.
So why then, does it often appear as if some blacks identify more with the virulent anti-American ravings of Jeremiah Wright than the homilies to Constitutional freedom expressed by Frederick Douglass, the runaway slave turned self-taught celebrated writer and one of the foremost authorities of his time on the subject of black autonomy?
Clearly, the searing legacies of slavery and the Civil Rights play a role, though some would argue those influences are disproportionate. The memories of these eras smolder in the consciousness of most blacks, feeding a sense of disenfranchisement and hostile suspicion that dilutes the natural affinity other ethnic groups express for America.
But some of those assumptions could be primed for a shift. A new effort is underway to draw attention to previously obscure but nonetheless pivotal black figures that have advanced the great American narrative. Conservative author David Barton recently published book, Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black and White, sheds a much-needed light on the black patriots whom history has largely forgotten.
Mr. Barton’s work has drawn its share of controversy, but its value should not be understated or dismissed. Where else, for instance, would students learn about Mississippi’s Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first black U.S. Senator? Or Joseph Hayne Rainey, a South Carolina Congressman who briefly served as Speaker of the House of Representatives? And that John Rock was the first African-American admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court bar? In his book, the author takes great pains to broaden black historical figures beyond the limited cast of characters normally talked about in books.
While not flawless, Mr. Barton’s work can play an important role in illustrating the rich history and patriotic roles played by blacks. Far too many remain uninformed about the original intent of the Constitution, and the people and events that helped shape the country’s tapestry. What some fail to appreciate is that American democracy, with all its imperfections, is manifestly superior to its alternatives. There’s a reason why the United States was the first country in the Western world to elect a black man as its head-of-state: we were the only country culturally equipped to do so.
As Mr. Barton and other historians have eloquently illustrated, the Constitution was created as an explicitly anti-slavery document: discrimination is inimical to its original intent. As Frederick Douglass stated in 1852: “Interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a glorious liberty document.” To the extent that racism once thrived under its auspices, the singularly unique character of American institutions and civic life eventually reconciled itself with the Constitution’s original aspirations, and continues to do so with each passing year.
During a widely publicized 2006 interview, actor Morgan Freeman famously dismissed Black History Month as “ridiculous.” As his clearly flummoxed interviewer was intimidated into silence, Mr. Freeman declared that “black history is American history.” And he was right -contrary to popular belief, African-American political actualization did not just begin with the Civil Rights era, nor will it end with the election of Barack Obama. Only by arriving at a fuller appreciation for this can a more profound patriotism develop amongst blacks, as well as other Americans.