The flag has been known as a symbol of patriotism for some, but also a constant reminder of exclusion and a lack of progress, as Benny Andrews explains when speaking on the figure in his painting Did the Bear Sit Under the Tree?, “It is a Black person who is shaking his fist at the very thing that is supposed to be protecting him [the flag] and that he’s operating under.” The flag became a paradox in the Black community, a symbol that all are asked to pledge allegiance to despite injustice, and mistreatment without apology or reform. The artists of Soul of a Nation often juxtapose the flag with scenes of aggression and violence to emphasize this common frustration in an era filled with raising self-awareness and political uproar.
