African Americans and the American Flag: Photographs from the National Museum of African American History and Culture

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

This volume coincides with the 10th anniversary of the opening of the NMAAHC and celebrations surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago. It illustrates how the American flag carries multiple meanings across generations. From soldiers saving Old Glory and veterans’ families holding tight a memorial banner, to political activists, sports figures, and everyday Americans waving the Stars and Stripes, African Americans have made the flag their own. While some images celebrate the patriotism and the pride of national identities, others speak to the complex history of America and the paradox of liberty.

The book presents photographs that date from the Civil War to the present day and shows work by celebrated photographers including Anthony Barboza, James Karales, Gordon Parks, Platon, and Maurice Sorrell alongside contemporary images by Sheila Pree Bright, Lola Flash, Zun Lee, Michael McCoy, Rashod Taylor, and others.

Aaron Bryant is curator of Photography, Visual Anthropology, and Contemporary History at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution, co-curator for the Johnson Publishing Company Archives, and a fellow with the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.