Macy Gray doubles down on criticism of the U.S. flag, notes Jan. 6 rioters 'held it as their symbol'
The Grammy winner pitched a new version of the flag that represents Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.
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Macy Gray doubled down on her push to change the U.S. flag, arguing that it represents "divisiveness and hate" in the modern day.
The Grammy-winning singer recently went viral after penning an op-ed for MarketWatch on Juneteenth in which she called for the flag to receive an update to better reflect America’s past, alleging that it has "replaced" the confederate flag as a symbol of racism and hate.
"America is great," she wrote. "It is beautiful. Pure, it ain’t. It is broken and in pieces."
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Speaking to Fox 11 in Los Angeles, Gray doubled down on her assertion that the flag has become less and less a symbol of national pride and is now in dire need of an update.
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"Why do we have to celebrate a flag that now represents divisiveness and hate?" said the 53-year-old.
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Macy Gray pitched her design for an updated version of the U.S. Flag. (Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
Specifically, Gray highlighted the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, noting how many of the people who stormed the building were carrying American flags.
"The people there held it up as their symbol as ‘this is what America represents,’" Gray, who was born Natalie Renee McIntyre, said. "‘We’re threatening to hang the vice president and our gang sign is the flag.’"
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In her op-ed, Gray pitched a new design for the American Flag with some changes. Chief among them is the addition of two more stars to represent the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
She also wants to do away with the color white, arguing that it is meant to represent a "purity" that America no longer has. Instead, she pitches a collection of colors on the Melanin scale that better represent the people of the country.
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While changing the traditional stars and stripes may sound like a radical idea, Fox 11 noted that the United States has had three dozen variations of the flag, the latest change being 62 years ago when Alaska and Hawaii were given stars.
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"I shouldn't’ have to salute it, I shouldn’t have to honor it, I shouldn't have to pledge to it," Gray concluded. "All I’m saying is, let’s redesign the flag for the rest of us who aren’t a part of that tribe."