The ubiquitous logo of America would be the flag. It evokes immediate recognition and numerous associations whether you’re American or not. Serving as an abstract map, it holds 50 stars for each state and 13 stripes for each of the pre-American Revolution colonies. It represents both the territorial past and present. As the logo of the United States, it’s a symbol and object expected to be respected—that is if you respect this nation. Similar to how legacy brands like Coca Cola have rebranded their logos overtime, so has the American flag. The creation of the flag is a myth itself, Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the first flag during the American Revolution but there is a lack of historical evidence of her doing so, yet she is upheld as the original designer. Additionally, there have been variations on the flag such as the Confederate, Blue Live Matter, and Trump flag reflecting the thin line between white supremacy and patriotism.

If the American Flag is the primary logo of the United States, the coat of arms serves as a secondary one. However, the coat of arms is a flexible logo, elements of it often take shape in government seals. In the context of being used as a government seal, all of the pieces within the coat of arms signals legitimacy and authority. Let’s break down the symbolism within this loaded icon. The repeated motif within the seal is number thirteen bringing it back to the settler origins of this country. These logos work to reinforce a common history, or a brand story(more about that later).

1. ❶ Eagle: The eagle could be considered as one of America’s many mascots. A predator that mainly preys on fish, the bald eagle contributes to the aggressive and dominant image projected by the United States. It’s holding an olive branch and thirteen arrows to symbolize war and peace.


2. ❷ E Pluribus Unum = From many, one : This refers to the original thirteen colonies coming together as one nation. It could be extended to the US’s continual expansion and usurpation of land from Indigenous people to morph into a single national identity.

The US Flag code is a set of recommendations and guidelines for usage of the flag, similar to a brand style guide. These codes contribute to instilling respect and trust in the logo as a sacred symbol. By defining these guidelines, it becomes sacrilegious to mutilate the flag in any way.

It’s time to repurpose some of these flag codes to create more nationwide visibility, solidarity, and accountability for issues like police brutality or, furthermore, reimagine American symbols like the flag. — Ekene Ijeoma

The People’s Flag Show was hosted by Faith Ringgold, Jean Toche, and Jon Hendricks in 1971. It aimed to push the limitations of flag desecration laws and to protest against the Vietnam War. It was inspired by a lawsuit against a gallery owner, Stephen Radich, who displayed work with the flag. The People’s Flag Show was raided by the police but the charges against the artists were ultimately dropped. The key line in this poster I want to point out is “artists, workers, students, women, third world peoples-you are oppressed-what does this flag mean to you?”.

This piece is from Indigenous Action, “a radical volunteer crew of anti-colonial & anti-capitalist Indigenous media makers, designers, artists, writers & agitators that work together on a project by project basis for liberation for Mother Earth and all her beings.” They view burning the flag as a symbolic political act and a sign of protest. Since the flag is the logo of the United States, and therefore the face of the American brand, burning the flag will “break down the legitimacy of their power”—this is how to subvert these symbols which hold up the seemingly powerful American brand.

The first version of the Pledge was penned by Francis Bellamy in 1892 specifically for children. Bellamy was commissioned by Youth Campanion to sell more American flags to school and this chant was a part of creating the demand. American children are expected to stand up every morning before school starts and recite this nationalist chant to cultivate patriotism and reverence for the flag at a young age. This is one of the earliest examples where a child may first beging to make meaning out the flag.

When we hear the national anthem, we are expected stand and place our hand over our hearts as a sign of national respect. These often take place before big events like political conventions and inaugurations but even before sporting events. Written by Francis Scott Key (a slaveowner) in 1814 during the American Revolution. It's an ode to the flag similar to the Pledge of Allegiance. The lyrics emphasize the (contradictory) values America was founded upon such as liberty and freedom. In a modern context, singing the anthem is supposed to be an honor for singers and often celebrities covered it. I chose Fergie's because of how over the top she makes it, to the point where even the players are trying hard not to laugh. This adds another layer of spectacle to the ritual.

Deconstructed Anthems is a project by Ekene Ijeoma that takes apart and recontextualizes the national anthem. It is a series of performances and sound installations. Through this project, Ijeoma challenges notions of American nationalism pride in the face of massive systemic oppression. The performance removes notes for the rates of mass incareration. The performances provide a moment of "deliberate illiteracy", allowing the audience to reflect on the ritual and the nation itself.

This painting personified the concept of “Manifest Destiny” through an idealized blonde woman moving West and pulling lines, trains and carriages behind her symbolizing the spread of modernity. She radiates purity, rationality, and whiteness. In turn, this justified Western settler expansion. The phrase “Manifest Destiny” references that Americans had a divine right to the land they are taking. This is also exemplified by the glow emanating from her body and the group of Indigenous people on the left corner covered in shadow as if to say that American expansion will lift them out of the shadows, or uncivilization. Women tend to be the personifications of the nation; another example would be the Statue of Liberty. They often represent values of the nation and can be read as a category of American mascots. By using a women to represent expansion and especially the way she is depicted in this painting, it softens and masks the face that “Manifest Destiny” is another phrase of dispossession of Indigenous land and the continued genocide of Indigenous people.

National stories and myths would be the equivalent of a brand voice. These myths are key to the creation of an “immemorial past” because through what history they want to emphasize and pass on, they are able to legitimize the United State’s seemingly destined right to be in this land. Often, these myths are connected to wars and euphemized violence. For example, the American Revolution was instrumental in generating national identity. For example, I was taught about the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Ride, the Boston “Massacre”. In the Civil War reenactment video, they emphasize the importance of preserving and honoring history. These performances are supposed to serve as a public history lesson but seeing that the main actors are majority white and the emphasise on honoring "both sides" raises some questions about who has the power to shape national memory of these events. Additionally, from this video alone, it seems to be a glofication of war, which is connected to a larger American miltary culture.

A contemporary example of a retelling of these stories is the musical Hamilton. It’s a weird glorification and romanticization of Alexander Hamilton, American Revolution, and the founding of America told in musical form. Hamilton makes retelling these stories into a spectacle.

Despite current attempts to promote its virtues, the “American Revolution” was only ever a limited war of independence, quite devoid of any social dimension. At no point in the course of their revolt against the British monarchy did the American settlers seek to transform economic and social relations – they simply refused to continue sharing the profits from them with the mother country’s ruling class. They wanted power for themselves, not in order to change things, but in order to continue doing the same things – albeit with more determination and higher margins. Their primary objective was to pursue the settlement of the West, which implied - among other things - the genocide of the Native Americans. Likewise, the revolutionaries never challenged slavery. — Samir Amin, The American Ideology