Can Blacks be American Patriots?

-Josh Howard, former NBA, Dallas Mavericks star once said, “The Star-Spangled Banner is going on right now. I don’t even celebrate that ----. I’m Black.”  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi523TdWj_E)
-Black singer Rene Marie was asked to sing the National anthem for a Mayoral event in Denver, Colorado, but substitutes the Black National anthem instead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw02sW04hHE). After such an outrage, Rene explains herself, “When I decided to sing my version, what was going on in my head was: ‘I want to express how I feel about living in the United States, as a black woman, as a black person.”
-Or, what about Reverend Jeremiah Wright, “…no, no, no, not God bless America, but God damn America. That’s in the Bible, for killing innocent people. God damn America…”
-Or, most recently, black ‘Grey Anatomy’ star actor Jesse Williams declares, “…we're done watching and waiting while this invention called whiteness uses and abuses us…”
   These heavy statements, combined with the new kid on the block: Black Lives Matter--seem to unequivocally shout:
BLACKS CAN’T BE PATRIOTS!!
BLACKS CAN’T LOVE RACIST AMERICA!
 
Well, I beg to differ. Let’s look at some past Black patriots to make a contrast.
1.Johy Roy Lynch who was born into slavery in 1847, but later became the first black Speaker of the House--in none other than--Mississippi!! Furthermore, he was the first Black to preside over a National Convention in 1884—the Republican National Convention. He said,
 “I love the land that gave me birth. I love the stars and stripes. This country is where I intend to live, where I expect to die; to preserve the honor of the national flag and to maintain perpetually the union of the states, for which hundreds, and I may say thousands of poor, brave, and true hearted colored men have fought, bled and died.”
2.Abolitionist Frederick Douglas, was taught by his mentor William Lloyd Garrison, that the Constitution of the United States was a racist, pro-slavery document because of the inclusion of the 3/5 clause. However, subsequently, in his writing entitled ‘My Bondage And My Freedom’, Mr Douglas had a change of heart,
“I was on the anti-slavery question, fully committed to the doctrine touching the pro-slavery character of the Constitution. I advocated this with pen and tongue according to the best of my ability. However, upon a latter reconsideration of the whole subject, I became convinced that the Constitution of the United States not only contained no guarantees in favor of slavery, but on the contrary, it is in its letter and spirit an anti-slavery instrument, demanding the abolition of slavery as a condition of its existence as a Supreme law of the land! Here was a radical change in my opinions.”
 
   Numbers 3-9, I call the Black Magnificent Seven—all American Patriots at a time just after the end of slavery known as the Reconstruction period(1866-1876). They were the first blacks elected to Congress (all elected as Republicans) in American history.
3.Hiram Rhodes Revels from Mississippi. He was a pastor and missionary, who ironically, replaced Senator Jefferson Davis, who became president of the Confederacy when the south seceded. He is America’s first black Senator.
4.Benjamin Turner from Alabama. He was a slave both before, and during the Civil War. Incredibly, he was so wise and articulate that he became a wealthy businessman within five years of the war’s conclusion. He was elected to the House of Representatives.  
5.Robert Delarge from South Carolina. Like Ben Turner, he was born a slave, yet within three years of the end of the Civil War he served in the state house, where he chaired the Republican Party’s platform committee, and became a state wide elected official, all before being elected to the House of Representatives in Washington D.C.
6.Josiah Walls from Florida. He was slave before the War, and was forced to fight for the Confederate army. After being captured by the Union army, he quickly re-enlisted, and later even became an officer. Subsequently, he was elected to the House of Representatives, but was twice challenged by the Democrats, who eventually had he sent home, and he never returned.
7.Jefferson Long from Georgia. He also was born a slave, but taught himself to read and write, and later even built a business. However, after being elected to the House of Representatives,  the Democrats made sure his business was boycotted, and after suffering great financial loss, he was forced to return home.
8.Joseph Haines Rainey from South Carolina. He was also born a slave. Incredibly, he became the first Black Speaker of the House. He served in Congress longer any of the other blacks during Reconstruction.
9.Robert Brown Elliott from South Carolina. He was not born a slave, and had a high formal educated. He could speak and read in four languages: Spanish, French, Latin, and English. He became the Speaker of the House on the state level.


These are just a ‘few’ of the Black American Patriots who lived in American antiquity.
   I’m sure you are probably wondering why Blacks who lived through, and around the time of slavery were American patriots, while it appears that so many contemporary Blacks are angry at America…what is that all about?
   First, there are many contemporary Blacks that love America—and realize God’s call upon this great nation! I read their writings, and even speak with them…all the time! Please don’t be fooled by the media!
   On the contrary, there are two simple reasons it appears Blacks hate America:
1.In order to increase ratings and sales, the media loves to agitate, to stir up resentment, if you will…by presenting angry people; and negative, hate-filled stories!
2.The vast majority of Black ‘America-haters’ are Black racists/nationalists, and/or Black liberals!*
   I have found that the segment of Blacks who either incite, or cheer at the incitement of the Jesse Williams’, the Jesse Jacksons’, the Louis Farrakhans’, the Al Sharptons’, the Michael Eric Dysons’, the Ta-Nehisi Coates’, the Malik Zulu Shabazzs’, etc., ---are Black liberals!
 
*Although I’m sure they exist, I have never seen or heard of a Black ‘America-hater’, who is not a liberal/progressive.
 
QuoteBit
Don't take the casual approach to life. Casualness leads to casualties.  –Jim Rohn