Macy Gray hasn’t released an official single since 2019, but she has kept busy via a number of acting roles over the past two years and more. By way of a new op-ed, the R&B singer and actress introduced an idea that the
American Flag should be redesigned to reflect the diversity and lives of the nation’s citizens and is catching a measurable amount of
pushback as one could expect.
Gray, 53, penned the piece for
MarketWatch, a website that focuses largely on financial matters, gave the songstress what might be seen as an unexpected platform for the op-ed and most especially as Juneteenth celebrations and federal observations were observed this week.
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The op-ed opens with Gray highlighting the Confederate flag, which many in the deep south and beyond still champion as a symbol of pride despite its connection with the country’s racist past and it being a reminder of what the Confederacy fought so hard to keep in place with the practice of slavery.
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“The Confederate battle flag, which was crafted as a symbol of opposition to the abolishment of slavery, is just recently tired. We don’t see it much anymore. However, on the 6th, when the stormers rained on the nation’s most precious hut, waving Old Glory — the memo was received: the American flag is its replacement,” Gray begins.
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She continued with, “President Biden, Madame Harris and members of Congress: the American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief. God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag.”
Gray goes on to mention that there are 50 stars on the current version of the flag, stating that 52 stars should be emblazoned on the Old Glory to account for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, both of which are in pushing for full statehood rights and recognition. In Gray’s estimation, given that both Washington and Puerto Rico are made of Black and Brown citizens and members of the Democratic Party, there could be some resistance from that standpoint too from Congress.
Within the body of the piece, Gray shows what the reimagined American Flag would look like, rendering the white stripes of the original version to look off-white, and other noticeable flourishes.
On Twitter, there has been some considerable discussion around the matter and we have reactions from all sides below.
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