Page 55 - Oct Nov 2017

Star-Spangled Bigotry: The Hidden Racist History of the National Anthem
press—is less than half the anti-black and anti-aboli-
Oh say can you see, story. tionist as you could get at

By the dawn’s early light, the time.
What so proudly we hailed, To understand the full
At the twilight’s last gleam- “Star-Spangled Banner” Of particular note was
P ing? story, you have to un- Key’s opposition to the

O Whose broad stripes and derstand the author. Key idea of the Colonial Ma-
L bright stars, was an aristocrat and city rines. The Marines were

I Through the perilous fight, prosecutor in Washington, a battalion of runaway
C O’er the ramparts we D.C. He was, like most slaves who joined with the
E watched, enlightened men at the British Royal Army in ex-
Were so gallantly streaming. time, not against slavery; change for their freedom.

B he just thought that since The Marines were not

R And thy rocket’s red glare, blacks were mentally infe- only a terrifying example
Thy bombs bursting in air,
U Gave proof through thee rior, masters should treat of what slaves would do if
T night, them with more Christian given the chance, but also

A That our flag was still kindness. He supported a repudiation of the white
L there. sending free blacks (not superiority that men like

I slaves) back to Africa and, Key were so invested in.
T Oh say does that star span- with a few exceptions,
Y gled banner yet wave, was about as pro-slavery, All of these ideas and
O’er the land of the free,
and the home of the brave.

The story, as most of us

are told, is that Francis
Scott Key was a prisoner

on a British ship during
the War of 1812 and wrote
this poem while watching

the American troops battle
back the invading British

in Baltimore. That—as is
the case with 99 percent
of history that is taught in

public schools and regur-
gitated by the mainstream Photo Courtesy of google.com

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