What is meant by Heritage Phenomenon?  Howard K. Bryant in his book, The Heritage:  Black Athletes, A Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism, highlights the politics of American patriotism as he describes the concept where professional athletes such as Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson, and many others, feeling a sense of duty to represent our race and our community by carrying the mantle of social and racial justice.  Recognizing that the opportunity to have celebrity and to enjoy the success afforded by their positions, these men chose to fight for the ones who could not be in their position and to honor those who came before them.  Bryant calls this The Heritage.

I am a scholar who focuses on Black veterans navigating race and racism through the lens of American patriotism.  My experiences as a scholar, as a veteran, and as a Black man shape my perspectives on how patriotism is conceptualized in America.  There is a historical context to Bryant’s discussion – the tradition of Black men serving in the military or utilizing sports as spaces to fight racial injustice, fight for equal citizenship, and to prove our courage and masculinity.  This tradition, when viewed the lens of patriotism in America, is a phenomenon that is more complex and nuanced than many Americans want to admit.  I feel the intersection of identities – racial, masculine, and patriotic – is important to understanding how Black veterans – and the Black community — experience and navigate racial injustice while also navigating American patriotism.

This is an important dialogue with implications on the future of our democracy.  Patriotism in America is not one dimensional but is experienced in many varied ways based upon the social and cultural positionality of the individual experiencing this phenomenon.