I am writing a book that will discuss the experiences of Black veterans with patriotism, race, and veteran identity. This is an important discussion as we consider that there are approximately 2.2 million Black veterans in America today. My book expands on my research from my dissertation, The Intersection of Blackness, Veteranality, and American Patriotism: An Autoethnographic Analysis of Patriotism in America from the Perspective of a Black Veteran. I believe a more comprehensive conceptualization of American patriotism would see the struggles of marginalized Americans as part of the aspirational love for this country. Black veteran experiences represent a counter-narrative to the current conceptualization of patriotism in America which is ensconced within a white reference frame. Counter-narrative is important for reframing patriotism, combatting the tendency to marginalize, and the influence of race and racism on patriotism in America.
I believe it is important to I use critical ethnography to challenge current conceptualizations of patriotism in America which have not considered how race influences Black veteran perspectives. Counter-storytelling is an important strategy for marginalized for disrupting prevailing perspectives about both patriotism in America and veteran identity. Veteran identity is determined by individual positionality – how social position and power influence identity and access in society – as it reacts to intersecting racial and cultural power structures. I argue that Black veteranality – the lived experiences of Black veterans – is an important scholarly contribution to Veteran Studies for understanding the nature of positionality within veteran identity. Using critical autoethnography, I analyze the conceptualization of patriotism as a civil religion that provides a moral foundation for justifying racialized moral injury and normalizes racial trauma for many Black veterans during and after military service.
If you are a Black veteran and would like to be interviewed, please use the following link to schedule an appointment: https://calendly.com/blgphdllc/veteran2023