This disillusionment deepened when, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, Democratic lawmakers, including Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn, knelt in protest at the Capitol while draped in kente cloth scarves. While I believed their gesture was well-intentioned, it felt like more of the same — empty symbolism instead of real reform.
At the time, I was outright indignant, scoffing at these symbolic acts. They were everywhere — Pan-African and Pride flags displayed in restaurants, storefronts, government buildings, and libraries. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate what these symbols represented; I just believed we could and should do more. I refused to settle for gestures when systemic change was needed.
But now, I see that perhaps those older moderates knew something I didn’t. They understood the significance of these symbols in a country that had long demonstrated hostility toward the people they represented. I was privileged in a way I hadn’t fully grasped — I came of age during the presidency of Barack Obama, a Black man who once lit up the White House in Pride colors. I naively assumed that progress was inevitable. Sure, I saw the rise of a bigoted right-wing movement, but I dismissed it as a weak counter-movement to the strides we were making.
I now know better.
The Dayton Metro Library system recently ordered its staff to take down Pride flags, Pan-African banners, and any symbols of diversity for fear of repercussions from the Trump administration, which has demanded that all federally funded institutions eliminate any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Libraries, like many public institutions, rely on government funding, and the political climate has made them skittish.
As the Trump administration actively dismantles DEI efforts and demands that federally funded institutions remove the very symbols I once dismissed as insufficient, I understand the gravity of even the smallest signs of progress. And now, I refuse to take any step forward — no matter how minor —for granted.
The good news is that this is still a free country. Just as our neighbors can fly their thinly veiled symbols—the “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, the “Make America Great Again” hats, the “1776” t-shirts — we can fly Black Liberation flags on our porches, stock our children’s bookshelves with historically accurate accounts, wear Pride pins on our lapels, and write op-eds encouraging our communities to keep pushing forward.
Because as long as this country remains free, it is not just our right — it is our duty — to preserve our democracy.
I’ve learned my lesson. I will take nothing for granted. I will appreciate every single stride forward and fight to keep making them.
Jared Grandy is a writer and organizer. He is the former Community-Police Relations Coordinator for the City of Dayton.
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