African Americans and the American Flag

This tenth volume in the Double Exposure series presents a diverse range of photographs that feature the American flag.

The American flag carries multiple meanings across generations and cultures of people, a symbol of complex histories, representing the ideals of liberty, as well as the horrors of oppression. This volume explores both ideas. While some images celebrate the nuances of patriotism and the pride of national identities, others reflect a different portrait of America that disrupts the myths and ideals of Americanism with the evidence of somber realities.

The book presents photographs that date from the Civil War to the present day and include photographers ranging from Gordon Parks, Sheila Pree Bright, and Anthony Barboza to Maurice Sorrell, Platon, and civil rights photographer James Karales. Rather than presenting photographs by chronology, theme, or photographer, the book pairs photographs in a sequence that reflects the range and diversity of images that provoke thought on the myths and complexities of Americanism and the flag as a symbol of freedom and justice.