‘Now the flag is too white?!’ Macy Gray is slammed after she called for US to ditch ‘racist’ Stars and Stripes and Gov. Kristi Noem insists Old Glory stands as ‘a symbol of liberty and justice for all’
- Macy Gray, 53, wrote a op-ed for MarketWatch saying the American flag needs to be redesigned to represent all Americans
- She argued that the stars on Old Glory fail to represent Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, both of which have seen failed attempts at gaining statehood
- Gray further claimed that the ‘white’ stripes meant to represent purity and innocence are not an accurate way to depict the country
- Republican politicians and pundits slammed Gray on Twitter, telling her she is free to leave the country
- However, others leapt to the singer’s defense, saying the design of the flag has been altered in the past
Singer Macy Gray has sparked outrage by suggesting the United States needs a new flag, claiming the current design is ‘tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect’ .
Gray, 53, made the remark in an op-ed for MarketWatch ahead of Juneteenth, a new federal holiday which commemorates the emancipation of American slaves in 1865.
The crooner’s comments caused controversy, with a slew of high-profile Republicans speaking out to slam the idea.
In her op-ed, Gray claimed 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 ‘It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us.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 went on to claim that the ‘white’ stripes meant to represent purity and innocence are not an accurate way to depict the country.
That sparked outrage from one Twitter user who wrote: ‘WTAF?! Now the flag is too white?! Maybe Macy Gray needs to spend some time with our service members for a little perspective.’
In her op-ed, 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.
‘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.
While most reaction was negative, some voiced their support for Gray.
‘If you have any flags, stickers, shirts, masks, or anything else that has the thin blue line, Confederate flag, or that dumb Trump flag, you have no right to be upset that Macy Gray wants a redesign of the US flag (which has been done many times),’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘The kind of people who fly the thin blue line and confederate flags — the kind who beat a US police officer with a flagpole flying the American flag — are upset with Macy Gray.’
Gray 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.