'America should get a NEW flag': Singer Macy Gray says US should ditch the Stars and Stripes because it is 'tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect' and compares it to the Confederate Flag
Singer Macy Gray argued in a recent op-ed that a new flag is needed for the United States, saying Old Glory is 'tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect' - and providing a design of her own.
Gray, 53, wrote the op-ed for MarketWatch ahead of Juneteenth, which was declared a federal holiday this week and is set to be celebrated on Saturday.
In her piece, the 'I Try' singer said the flag needs to be redesigned to represent all Americans, arguing the symbolism of Old Glory was harmed during the Capitol riot.
'Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect,' Gray wrote of the flag. 'It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag.'
Gray put together a proposal for that new flag, with off-white stripes, '52 stars to include D.C. and Puerto Rico,' and stars 'the colors of ALL of us — your skin tone and mine — like the melanin scale.'
She would retain the blue square for 'vigilance' and the red stripes for 'valor.'
Macy Gray argued in a recent op-ed that a new flag is needed for the United States, saying Old Glory is 'tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect'
Gray also provided her own design as to what the flag should look like
Gray argued that the stars on the flag fail to represent Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, which have both seen failed attempts at gaining statehood.
She went on to claim that the 'white' stripes meant to represent purity and innocence are not an accurate way to depict the country.
'America is great,' Gray said. 'It is beautiful. Pure, it ain’t. It is broken and in pieces.'
Gray also talked about how a high school student designed the current flag right before Alaska and Hawaii reached statehood.
The five-time Grammy nominee went on to design her own version of the flag that she felt would be more representative of the country, while keeping many elements from Old Glory.
Many people on social media were not thrilled with Gray's take down of Old Glory.
Gray argued that the stars on the flag fail to represent Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, which have both seen failed attempts at gaining statehood
The five-time Grammy nominee is best known for her classic hit, 'I Try'
'I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of that ragged old flag,' tweeted Jenna Ellis, a former attorney for Donald Trump.
'@MacyGraysLife had one hit song about 20 years ago and hasn’t done anything since,' said former GOP House candidate Lavern Spicer.
'Now she wants to come out from the dark and say that she hates our flag,' Spicer continued.
'Your world would crumble if you weren’t in America,' Spicer added, a reference to the chorus Gray's seminal hit.
'Not changing the flag because some celebrity opinion,' tweeted another person. 'What the flag means and stands for has never changed. The failure of the people in this country to live up to it's [sic] meaning is the change that needs to happen.'
The response on Twitter to Gray was overwhelmingly negative.
The singer has previously expressed support for progressive causes, according to Fox News.
Last year, she performed during an 'I Will Vote' fundraiser, which raised money for Joe Biden's campaign.
Gray's op-ed came as Juneteenth - the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US - was made a federal holiday after 155 years.
President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House on Thursday to sign the bill into law, with the first Juneteenth National Independence Day being observed on Saturday.
It has been celebrated annually and has gone through many iterations - including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day.
It is not clear how it came to be called Juneteenth National Independence Day, but Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said that America only 'truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave' when Union Army General George Granger freed the last saves in Texas in 1865.
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