That Flag

Two girls, Keira and Bianca, are friends. Then they discover that a flag can divide them.

For the Black family, the flag is a symbol of “violence and oppression.” For the white family, the flag is a symbol of “courage and pride.”

The girls visit the Southern Legacy Museum. After the visit, Keira and her family discuss the ways that her family, as Blacks, have suffered from racism. The class discusses what the children saw in the museum, and Bianca is confused about the flag that flies in front of her house. The teacher encourages Bianca to talk to her family about the flag and its meaning.

Then two Black people are shot by three white men. The three men are standing in front of the flag. That flag.

This is a powerful story. It could provoke discussion. It could help people understand each other better.

Sometimes adults want to protect kids from things, but don't know if a child is ready to hear the heavy realities of why something is dangerous, or at least, how to distill it so it makes sense and is not too depressing or terrifying.

That Flag is a story about two young girls who are best friends. The Black girl is not allowed to play with the white girl outside of school, because the white girl's family flies a Confederate flag outside their house.

This was an interesting book about how relics of slavery stay with us and are often trivialized and romanticized. I think a lot about it was well-done, but I did not love how simple the turnaround was for the white family. I guess I object to the idea that racism is so easily relinquished.

Though the topic is niche and important, the way the message was conveyed did not fully land for me personally.