The events of 2020 brought forth a racial reckoning in America, with many finally realizing the systemic bias that this country was built upon and perpetuates. However, Black America is all too aware of and has continuously suffered from these discrepancies in freedom over the past 400 years. This hypocrisy is especially clear on Independence Day. This past July 4—a day in which Americans celebrate their freedom—we wanted to show that everyone is not free. 

When you see an American flag at half-staff, you wonder why the country is mourning on that particular day. “400 Years at Half-Staff” lowers the culturally iconic African American flag to half-staff to illustrate the reality that Black Americans have been suffering and mourning since 1619. Embroidered with a vigorous declaration of Black truth, the flag can be seen through a powerful film imploring all Americans to stand up against systemic racial injustices and to start a conversation at Courageous Conversation Global Foundation (CCGlobalfoundation.org), where they can learn how to contact their local senators and urge them to pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. Additionally, we used image-recognition technology to create an Instagram lens that allows users to interact with the African American flag at half-staff in real life to show their support for the Black community.

With a $2,500 all-in budget, the film and lens were shared across social platforms, and even shared by prominent figures like D.L. Hughley and Doug E. Fresh. This continued to spark courageous conversations around racial injustices in America, on a day in which we all reflect on what it means to be American and the meaning of “liberty and justice for all.”

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