Thoughts on the Flag

Each morning, our students say the Pledge of Allegiance, often mindlessly reciting words that have become devoid of meaning.  They don't tend to give a great deal of thought to the ritual, or the fact that they are pledging their allegiance to a physical item in addition to the country it stands for.  In our American studies class, I like to challenge our students to think critically about both the Pledge and the Flag.  Notably, students are often surprised to discover that the phrase "under God" was a later addition (1954 to be exact) to the official pledge.

Our culminating unit on the American Dream offers a wonderful opportunity for reflection about what we are pledging our allegiance to at the beginning of our school days.  I present students with a series of images that may or may not represent the American Dream, and they discuss and analyze using those images as a fulcrum for their exploration.  This year, two images received far more attention than I might have expected, producing the kind of vigorous discussion and investment we'd like all of our lessons to achieve!  These images were White Flag by Jasper Johns and The Flag is Bleeding by Faith Ringgold.

White Flag, 1955

by Jasper Johns

Our analysis of this Johns' painting revolved around the absence of usual colors (blue, red) and the appropriation of an ordinary item that has become invisible.  Students were immediately driven to find racial messages in the color choices, but found it difficult to provide evidence for that "reading".  On the other hand, they immediately identified one of the most powerful elements of the work; it forced them to see the flag that they otherwise would ignore.  Because of projects that had recently been completed, there were no fewer than 17 versions of the American flag on display in our classroom, and yet when questioned, students admitted that they had not noticed any of them.  The flag had become invisible to them.  White Flag forced them to see the flag specifically by changing the flag they were accustomed to seeing.

The Flag is Bleeding, 1967.

by Faith Ringgold 

Faith Ringgold's painting produced two consecutive responses: the first was momentary stunned silence.  Students spent the time that is always demanded by challenging work, truly encountering the work.  The second response was a sea of raised hands and probing ideas and questions, a response that only ceased because of the end of the class.  Why is the black man holding a knife?  Is he bleeding, or is it the flag?  Are the men supporting the woman or is she somehow a captive?  What does the black stripe at the bottom represent?  Where is the black woman?  The questions produced a plethora of theories and answers, but continued to drive the class into greater questions.  My final charge for the students to consider what this artwork says about the American Dream had students chattering as they left the classroom - every teacher's dream.

Our final exam for the course included one essay option that asked how Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X would each respond to Faith Ringgold's painting.  Those students who chose to answer this essay produced powerful reflections on race, gender, patriotism, and symbology.  I doubt those students will be as quick to recite the pledge as a mindless drone, but rather will deeply consider the meaning and purpose of the words, and the symbol they are directed towards.