Beyoncé and America's Slipping Patriotism
It's the perfect time for a conversation on American pride and celebration
This Fourth of July, I watched Americans, including an international pop icon, wrestle with their sense of patriotism.
I went to Beyoncé's concert for the music but found myself more struck by the symbolism.
Words filled the screen: “I am an American poet.” Emphasis on “American.”
Then images of Black artists appeared.
The words continued: “With American images like...” followed by a sign for an old Tina Turner concert and James Brown dropping to the ground with his microphone.
What I witnessed was something complicated struggling for expression—a need to affirm the Americanness of Black and other minority populations within this country. It felt like laying stake to a claim, similar to how Beyoncé approached country music, a genre she was repeatedly told she didn't belong in but made space in, not only for herself but for other Black artists.
In that performance, with all the beautiful red, white, and blue outfits, I saw a woman struggling to celebrate when things felt complicated. Her final act made the critique clear: the Statue of Liberty masked with braids.
It’s Not Just About Queen B
But Beyoncé isn't alone in this wrestling match. According to a recent Gallup poll, this is a national phenomenon. A record low of 58% of Americans say they are "extremely" (41%) or "very" (17%) proud to be American, compared to 87% who said they were extremely or very proud in January 2001. The slip has occurred primarily among Democrats and independents.
While talking to people in the crowd at the concert, I saw a woman wearing a sash that was red, white, and blue but read "America Has a Problem." When I asked her about it, she said this was what she could bring herself to wear that day. I also reached out to people on TikTok and heard from multiple individuals—veterans even—who said their patriotism had been slipping. Though it seemed to be an ongoing struggle, it has certainly hit a new low this year.
Some of the white people who messaged me said their sense of pride slipped was because of the level of racism they see around them that they hadn't witnessed to that extent before. For Black families with military service history, it seemed more complicated—something they wrestled with in an ongoing way, layered with generations of complex relationships with American identity.
This is all worth noting. I've seen Americans domestically and abroad, and we can be an obnoxiously prideful people. So it certainly says something about where we're headed that so many are struggling with their sense of patriotism.
Lessons From Overseas
While posted as a U.S. diplomat in Saudi Arabia, I was able to write a column in the Arab newspaper there about my feelings on the Fourth of July, a huge feat to discuss freedom and democracy in a strict monarchy. It was short, but I remember it being a challenge. I wanted to celebrate where America was as a country while also addressing the elephant in the room: that I was a Black woman and that our history is fraught, with efforts at cohesion perhaps forever ongoing.
Whether you're domestic or abroad, I’d love to keep this conversation going. How are you feeling? How did you celebrate the Fourth of July? What does patriotism mean to you right now?
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