Page 16 - Provoke Magazine Vol2

Expression of Allegiance
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO principles. Some of you will see this picture as a complete problem and for others, you will be moved. Let me tell you why I haven’t saluted the American flag in over 18 years.
I was a freshman in HS and I was dealing, daily with being in my skin. Countless times I had already been called, nigger, black bitch, monkey and asked why I was the only dark per- son in my family. We all look at high school as a rite of pas- sage, a time to grow up and step into our own. I honestly do not recall what the conflict at the time was, but I had shown up to homeroom dead set on not saluting the flag to start the day. My rebellion had shown in several different forms, but I recall the conversation with my grandfather, who was a vet. “Do I have to salute the flag, grandpa? I don’t want you to think I am disrespecting what you stood for, but they don’t treat us right and I don’t think the flag is for black people.” My grandpa loves my passion, he has always encouraged me to go my own way. His eyes lit up as he explained to me, “I
16 Provokeusmag.com
Andrea Pernell
fought that war because I felt like I had to, as a man that wanted something. It was one of the few options we had so I took it. Plenty of people have fought and died with less re- spect than they deserved and you saluting or not saluting the flag won’t change that. If you don’t want to salute that flag, Angie, that’s your right. That is what I fought for.” I took my weekend chat with gramps to heart and on Monday morn- ing the following week, instead of saluting with the rest of the class I bowed my head to pray. I got away with this for about a week and a half. Finally, one day after the salute was over my art teacher, also a vet, had had enough. He took his glasses off and threw them across his desk, “I’ve watched you disrespect our daily opening ceremony and I am tired of it, you won’t stay in my class if you can’t salute the flag!” he ex- plained. Not shouting but not happy to be leading this sort of conversation. By all accounts I respected him, but I wasn’t backing down. He was not going to tell me how to start my day, and it damn sure wasn’t going to be a hand over heart lie,
Expression