Patriotism: Pride, Race and Reckoning

NAVIGATING LOVE, CRITIQUE AND NATIONAL IDENTITY: A RETIRED NAVY COMMANDER EXPLORES THE PARADOX OF PATRIOTISM.

Memorial Day honors the men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to our country. In our next podcast episode, we discuss different ways to look at patriotism. Our guest, retired US naval officer and Washington Post newspaper columnist Theodore Johnson ponders the question, “How can we take pride in a nation with a history of injustice and inequality?”

At a high school football game, Johnson, who is African American, stood at attention when the national anthem was played. His teenage son, who was about to play in the game, took a knee in a protest against how he saw police treating African Americans. Johnson argues that both acts were expressions of patriotism and is proud of his son’s decision.

“For me, being a patriot is not about uncritical celebration and talking only about how exceptional we are and how great the country is,” Johnson tells us. “Being a true patriot requires that you both love the nation and critique it.” On this insightful episode of “Let’s Find Common Ground“, Theodore Johnson also discusses his thoughts for how America can have more productive and uplifting discussions about race.