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AP-NORC Poll Finds Sharp Divides Over American Flag by Politics, Age and Race
The AP-NORC survey found about 7 in 10 Republicans fly the flag at least on holidays, while 6 in 10 Democrats and independents say they never do.
Americans' views of the American flag are deeply divided by politics, age, and race, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research ahead of the nation's 250th birthday.
Usage patterns vary sharply by political affiliation: about 7 in 10 Republicans and 6 in 10 Americans ages 60 and older fly the flag during holidays, while about 6 in 10 Democrats and independents say they never display it.
Racial disparities emerge starkly: only 22% of Black adults see the flag as unifying, compared with 55% of white adults and 42% of Hispanic adults. Only about 3 in 10 Black adults ever display the flag.
Jerry Esters, a 64-year-old retired clay sculptor for a Detroit automaker, flies three flags at his home, saying he is "kind of living out her dreams" honoring his great-great-grandmother born into slavery.
Matthew Delmont, professor of American history at Dartmouth College, notes that Black Americans often see the flag as a symbol of "both inclusion and exclusion," as it can justify patriotism "rooted in exclusion.