“I pledge of allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic in 

Which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The Pledge of Allegiance is in a few words what our flag and our nation stand for. Well to be quite honest, what it is “supposed” to stand for. As a nation today many African Americans consider The American flag as dead. We are continuing to have people of color killed by cops without justice being served. Because so many African Americans have been killed without justice the flag is starting to lose its meaning. I am choosing to analyze the image “Black Lives Matter: Mother and child” by Deirdre Laughton. Laughton was born and raised in NYC. She is now living in Bay Bridge and has been living there for the past 15 years. This particular painting relates directly back to the representation of the American Flag sending a messages that the American Flag is losing its means.

As cops continue to kill more innocent African Americans today, it seems to have become normal. The first thing I noticed while viewing this image was the American flag laying across a dead African American woman’s lap, while she was laying in the hands of The Statue of Liberty. Typically, when you see the American Flag it is hanging high in the sky being taken by the wind singing we stand together as people of America. With the flag laying across the man’s lap in the image, it symbolizes freedom being taking away from people of color. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and the chance of a new beginning. In the image the man is laying across Lady Liberty’s lap dead so there is no justice being shown. Also, there are many dead faces on the stripes of the flag which are clearly indicators that The American flag is losing meaning to people of color. Faces on the stripes are examples of black men such as Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardener, Mike Brown, and Freddie Gray that have lost their lives to police brutality. Slowly buts surely this has become a serious issue and there is not much being done about it. 

The Statue of Liberty is not the typical Statue of Liberty. It represents the mothers of black moms that had to go through tragedy of no longer having their son to hold. The black man in this picture is laying across her lifeless. She’s looking down at him with anger and frustration. Another innocent, man gone to the justice in our country. Something else that stands out is the fact that she is kneeling in the image, showing that there is no need to stand and show respect for the flag that is dead.

In most cases of police brutality, it is normally a white cop killing a person of color. In fact, “in 2015 almost 258 people of color were victims of police brutality, 38 were unarmed” (Sullivan). Already in 2016, “184 people of color were shot and killed by police, 16 were unarmed” (Sullivan). I say this to connect this back to the picture, that this is directed towards the cold hearted few that have killed unarmed people of color. I believe this issue needs to be bought to all people of the United States attention, and to raise awareness on the effect of every family who is a victim of police brutality. With that being said the image is particularly directed at cops not of color and also a photo to raise awareness of such a such a serious issue to all people of the United States. 

This issue additionally appeals to my emotion on a few levels. In 2015, I had a cousin that was shot and killed on the side of a highway while waiting for AAA due to the car issues he was having. He was unarmed and was approached by a white cop who later shot and killed him. This case of police brutality was being handled the same way as the rest, with no justice! This cop was only charged with manslaughter, in my opinion that’s getting away with murder. This relates back to the image of how it shows the American Flag is losing its meaning because cops are starting to take advantage of authority by deciding certain lives do not matter.

To relate this back to the image again, I believe it is demanding the viewer to be alarmed about police brutality. This image is helping inspire a call to action. Within the United States racism, stereotypes, and prejudice still exists, in my opinion more so in the south. “In Alabama there were 6 police brutality on people of color, in Florida there were 26, Georgia there were 10, Louisiana there were 14, and in South Carolina there were 9” (Sullivan). Out of these few states in the south these deaths made up almost half of the total of African Americans shot and killed in 2015. 

In conclusion, Black lives matter, all lives matter.  At the end of the day if someone is murdered justice shall be served no matter the color of their skin. People should be treated like people, not animals. We should judge people by character and not color. All most people are asking for is fairness, without fairness the war of color will forever be continued.  
