Recently, I was heading home from one of the local coffeehouses that I frequent on a regular basis. Along the way, at one specific intersection, there were a few men in a pickup truck in the lane next to me. Two men were sitting in the back of the truck. One of them proceeded to yell at me “do you see this flag?!”

In response, I rolled down my window and delivered a blunt commentary to the guy. Afterwards, I engaged in a universal symbol. Yes, I let my emotions get the best of me and responded with some pretty blunt language. He responded with “White power” at the same moment the truck took off and headed down the highway.

I was angry and irritated. I let out a loud yell to release my anger. Once I arrived home, I posted about the incident on social media. As you can imagine, responses were intense, impassioned and in some cases, irascible. To be sure, no group of people, that includes non-White people are monolithic. In fact, there are indeed people of color who are conservative in their political affiliation.

That being said, the fact is that even those individuals of racial minority groups (at least a notable percentage of them) are likely to be very apprehensive in lending their vocal support to a flag that symbolizes denigration, dehumanization and other forms of humiliation. Indeed, the amount of indignities, injustices and abominable impositions associated with the flag abound. That being said, for the record, yes there are some Black people, misguided though they may be, who embrace the confederate flag, by many of us a symbol of oppression that has been deeply embraced and embedded by the darker forces of our nation. Its searing and oppressive representation has/had a profoundly negative experience on numerous people of color. It is systemic, systematic, brutal, blatant, violent, pathetic, culturally arrogant, abominable among other deplorable things as well. This should go without saying. That being said, once again, yes, there are Black and other non-White people who do harbor an affinity for such a degrading entity.

The flag has periodically emerged at the forefront of southern culture. Initially, it represented 19th century southern culture to preserve slavery and White supremacy. Later on, the Ku Klux Klan embraced the flag. The same was true of the White Citizens’ Councils, and other white supremacist groups composed of wealthy, upscale and prominent individuals who steadfastly opposed integration.

The flag experienced a fierce amount of promotion as the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s advanced throughout much of the nation. After the Supreme Court’s 1954 landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, White southerners employed the Confederate flag to physically, emotionally and psychologically intimidate civil rights activists and demonstrate states’ willingness to protect segregation by any means necessary.

As Black Americans continued to amass political power, such gains challenged and upended the social order. Debates concerning the history of the flag over the past 60 plus years, have resulted in ongoing controversies at the local, state and national level.

In response to such political upheaval, there have been a number of notable attempts to obscure the flag’s profile in any arena that could be identified as public property. A few years ago, in 2020, NASCAR banned the flag from being displayed at all of its events or public properties. Indeed, despite such efforts, over the past few years, the flag has been brazenly touted and displayed at Trump rallies and other conservative right-wing events.

Let’s just tell it like it is! Despite no matter how often its supporters attempt to modify, codify, defend or protect its meaning or legacy, the truth is that any reasonable and honest person, regardless of race or geographic region, should be keenly aware of the fact that there is nothing redemptive about the confederate flag.

It is representative of hate, terror, violence, pain, suppression, oppression, repression, blood, sweat, tears, war, distress and other reductive factors. Again, the flag symbolizes denigration, degradation, dehumanization and demoralization etc… There is nothing admirable about its sinister and rapacious history. There is nothing ambiguous or positive about its scurrilous message.

The flag certainly needs to be showcased in a museum to serve as a reminder of part of our dark, sordid history. The same is true of swastikas, photos of lynchings as well as other horrendous examples of human oppression. Indeed, we cannot ignore such historical atrocities, particularly given the fact that such odious history seems to be rearing its ugly and sinister head in our present era.

No amount of perverse denial or disingenuous revisionist history, desperately promoted by some on the rabid, unhinged, political, social and cultural right, the current administration or anyone else can or will alter this unalterable fact. Period!