Our complicated relationship with the flag

我们对国旗的复杂情感

Today, Explained

2025-07-06

29 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar openly celebrate the American flag. But a lot of Black Americans feel differently. What does that tell us about identity today? This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Image of Kendrick Lamar performing at the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images.  If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  • Hi, my name's Al,

  • and I have a question about the relationship between African Americans and the American flag.

  • I've just been thinking about the Kendrick Lamar.

  • performance and really Beyonce's country album and how both of them used the American flag or at least its colors.

  • And I'm just interested to see how that's kind of evolved or where it sits today or tomorrow and yesterday.

  • Anyway.

  • I've been thinking about this too.

  • Anyone who knows me knows I'm a Beyonce fan.

  • By the time you hear this, I'll be recovering from her July 4th show outside D.C.

  • Beyonce famously doesn't do many interviews, but she's intentional about every choice she makes.

  • So a big concert on the 4th in the nation's capital isn't a coincidence.

  • With Cowboy Carter, Beyonce leaned into her American identity.