Who are the True Patriots for democracy!?
- datruthmeter
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
When we think about patriotism in America, the imagery that often comes to mind has been carefully curated over centuries: founding fathers in powdered wigs, soldiers storming beaches, flag-waving crowds at political rallies. But true patriotism isn't about performance or mythology. It's about showing up when democracy itself hangs in the balance. It's about casting a vote not just for your own interests, but for the soul and future of a nation! And on November 5th, 2024, African Americans proved once again that we are the truest patriots this country has ever known.
The numbers tell a story that should be carved into the American consciousness. Ninety-two percent of Black women and eighty percent of Black men voted to reject authoritarianism, to stand against fascism, and to save this country from the tyranny that a Donald Trump presidency promised to unleash. While other communities wavered, while some chased economic fantasies or cultural grievances, Black voters stood firm in defense of democracy. We understood what was at stake because we always have. Our history has taught us to recognize the signs of oppression, to hear the dog whistles that others dismiss, to see the threat that others minimize!
This wasn't the first time. Throughout American history, Black people have been the moral compass of this nation, even as we were denied full citizenship, even as we were terrorized and marginalized. We fought in every American war, often in segregated units, defending freedoms we ourselves could not fully enjoy. We led the civil rights movement that forced America to live up to its stated ideals. We have consistently voted to expand rights rather than restrict them, to build bridges rather than walls, to choose inclusion over exclusion. Our patriotism has never been conditional on whether America treats us fairly. We love this country enough to fight for what it could be, even when confronting what it has been.
Black women, in particular, have been the backbone of American democracy. Ninety-two percent is not just a statistic; it's a declaration. It says that Black women saw clearly through the lies, the manipulation, and the fear-mongering. They organized, they mobilized, they showed up, and they brought their communities with them. They did this while facing voter suppression, while juggling multiple jobs, while caring for families, while being dismissed and overlooked by mainstream political narratives. They did it anyway because they understood that democracy requires vigilance and sacrifice.
The question we must ask is this: why isn't Black America's consistent defense of democracy recognized as the patriotism it clearly is? Why are we still fighting to have our citizenship fully acknowledged when we are the ones who keep showing up to save everyone else's? The answer lies in America's selective memory and its narrow definition of who gets to be called a patriot. But the truth cannot be denied. When this nation faced a crossroads between democracy and authoritarianism, between hope and fear, between progress and regression, African Americans knew which path to choose.
We are the true patriots. Not because we wrap ourselves in flags or shout about American exceptionalism, but because we actually do the work of democracy. We stand in long lines to vote. We register our neighbors. We fight against voter suppression. We believe in the promise of America even when America has broken its promises to us. That is patriotism in its purest form, loving your country enough to hold it accountable, to demand better, to refuse to let it slide into darkness.
On November 5th, 2024, African Americans once again carried the weight of this nation's conscience on our shoulders. We voted not just for ourselves but for everyone who would suffer under tyranny. We voted for immigrants who would be scapegoated, for women who would lose autonomy over their own bodies, for workers who would see their rights stripped away, for the environment that would be sacrificed to corporate greed. We voted to preserve the institutions that make democracy possible. For educators and students so that we can be funded properly and fairly. That is what patriots do!
Here at DaTruthMeter, we believe in telling the truth even when it disrupts familiar narratives. If patriotism means defending democracy, protecting institutions, and rejecting tyranny, then the numbers tell a clear story. African Americans were not just participants. We were guardians of democratic continuity!
So the next time someone casually claims the mantle of patriot, ask them what they did when democracy was on the ballot. Ask them where they stood when authoritarian language entered mainstream politics. Ask them how they voted when it mattered!
Let this be remembered. Let it be taught in schools and written in history books. When America needed saving from itself, Black Americans answered the call. We always have! We always will! DaTruthMeter reads CLEAR!! African Americans are the true patriots!!!