I started this post a few months ago, and got distracted by the "Dabo vs Spurrier" media war. But it is your lucky night, because I am finally finishing it. I came across this article on the Post and Courier website a few weeks before Christmas, and I absolutely could not resist discussing. Well, obviously I resisted for a little while...
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A student at the University of South Carolina Beaufort was told to remove a Confederate flag from his dorm room window. Apparently, parents and students did not like seeing it during campus tours. Like many others, they saw the flag as a symbol of slavery and racism. Byron Thomas, the student in question, sees it differently:
"When I look at this flag, I don't see racism. I see respect, Southern pride," he said. "This flag was seen as a communication symbol" during the Civil War.
THANK YOU, Byron Thomas! I whole-heartedly agree! The Confederate flag did not represent slavery or racism. It did not support discrimination or segregation. Those are some very unfortunate things that happened during this flag's lifetime. However, they did not occur because of the flag and they did not cease when the flag was replaced. In fact, the Civil Rights Movement - the great American effort to eliminate racism, segregation, and discrimination - did not start until approximately 90 years after the collapse of the Confederate States of America (and its flag).
The Confederate flag is a symbol of Southern pride, traditions, states' rights, and rich history. I personally do not choose to display this flag on my property or clothing, mainly because I prefer to fly our current flag and everything it represents. Nonetheless, I find it ridiculous when a proud Southerner is viciously chastised for doing so.
To me, the most powerful part of Byron Thomas's story is his ethnicity. He is black. Yep, black. It was a class project that encouraged him to research the Confederate flag. And through his research, Byron realized that "the flag's real meaning has been hijacked." Byron recognizes that race is still an issue, but he would prefer that people "thoughtfully consider issues of race and not just knee-jerk reactions to such symbols." Again, I am in complete agreement with Mr. Thomas.
Spectacular advancements have been made in the way of racial equality, but there are still issues of discrimination and segregation. I believe many of these issues are prolonged by groups and individuals that insist on bringing "race" into every issue. For example, should Americans be proud that we have a black president? Yes. But should it really matter that he is black? No. Why is a presidential candidate's ethnic race even mentioned? What does skin color have to do with a person's ability to lead a country? Nothing. After the 2008 election, I was personally told by a young, voting adult that he voted for Barack Obama, "because he's black." I'm sorry, but that is just not right. And in my opinion, it is one of the reasons that race is still an on-going issue. It also proves my theory that racism and discrimination are two-way streets. If somebody voted for Obama because he is black, then essentially they did not vote for McCain because he is white. Is that not racism in its truest form? By constantly including race as a factor, we are refusing to let the problem end.
I especially love Byron's statement about not wanting to be called "African American," as he was not born in Africa and it makes him feel like a half-citizen. Byron is no more African than I am Polish or Robert De Niro is Italian. Why do we continue to tip-toe around an issue that is supposed to be resolved? These "politically correct" distinctions, again, only perpetuate the problem. Aren't we all just "AMERICAN"?
I know I've gone off on a few tangents here, but I am really interested in this topic. In fact, the Confederate flag and discrimination have been on my "soap-box" list for a while now. As a teacher, I can honestly say that I want each of my students (all 700+ of them!) to have the same opportunities for happiness and success. And I just don't think this is going to be possible if we keep making issues over silly things like 150-year old flags.
