Thread by @jimantle

I agree with everything you say here. If we had been a racially inclusive people from the beginning, there would be no reason for these other institutions. But (and I say this with love and no hate)...

https://twitter.com/ProperlyZuri/status/1306093917276958720

The Star Spangled Banner is yours, not just mine. There is no one more American than a black person in America.

I love Lift Every Voice And Sing. As a Protestant in America, it means a lot to me even apart from the racial implications.

But I reject the idea that there are separate national anthems or that we are aspirational different peoples.

And I believe we will live to regret holding American patriotism and racial justice as goals in tension with each other.

The divisions that exist obviously are rooted in in undeniable historical reality. But is there a way out, other than together?

And I say this while acknowledging the sins not only of my side racially, but also politically.

I am a believer in race-neutral American civic nationalism. But many who speak in the name of this deny or are hostile to black suffering.

You cannot deny the experience so many black people have in their own country.

Our own country.

And how does intersectionality account for the black cop who protected the white person from a gang member? The white cop who saved the life of a small black child? The white and black soldiers who fought side by side, protecting each other?

I love this country and I HATE racial division. But I also know I am not without sin.

We were founded with great principles. We did not follow them very well. Our black brothers and sisters challenged us to do better. We did, though not well enough.

My final note on this is:BLACK PEOPLE ARE AMERICANS!