The Power of Symbols

[sound of seats and feet shuffling]

Multiple Students: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands…

[sound of paper flipping]

Multiple Students: One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[sounds of seats and feet shuffling]

[upbeat music]

Ollie: Every time we do this, I notice how differently people react. Same words, same flag. Totally different feelings.

[sound of metal locker opening]

Ollie: Here’s the deal. We’re trying to make a difference, and we want decision-makers to see why change matters. So we’re using journalism. Our cameras, our mics, and our voice to tell real stories about what’s actually happening around here, and what students can make happen when we work together to make our school work for us. I just want to understand how one symbol can mean so many different things to different people.

Sid: Yeah. Like when we do the pledge, people react so differently to the American flag.

[sound of metal locker closing]

[sound of multiple text message dings]

Ollie: Whoa. This is bigger than I thought.

Sid: Yeah. It feels like everyone’s bringing their whole life into it.

Alex: I’m not trying to start any drama. I just think that we should actually talk about it instead of pretending like everyone feels the same.

[dramatic music]

Ollie: Immigration rallies, civil rights marches, military ceremonies, sporting events.

Sid: The flag doesn’t change.

Ollie: Yeah, but the people holding it do. This protester is covering their face with an American flag in this one.

Sid: He looks powerful. Like he’s being bold. The light behind him, it’s almost like a halo.

Ezra: I don’t know. I can’t tell if he’s trying to be seen or trying not to be.

Alex: Is he hiding or protecting himself? From what?

Ezra: Well, the flag wrapped around his face. It feels like he’s carrying the whole country, but also like he’s asking us to do better.

Sid: Like dignity. Even when things are falling apart.

Ollie: You know what I see? Hope. And not the sugary type. The stubborn kind. Like he’s saying, “This is what we can be. Come on.”

Alex: He doesn’t look defeated. He looks like he knows he’s not alone.

Ollie: This is American Rage. Ted Soqui photographed this moment during the protests after the killing of Michael Brown in 2014.

Sid: Michael Brown was...remind me.

Alex: Okay. Here. Watch this.

News Reporter: Michael Brown was an unarmed Black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. His death and the decision not to indict the officer sparked protests across the country. People were demanding accountability and speaking out against police violence and racial profiling. Protesters were met with a heavy police response, drawing national attention to how movements for racial justice were treated. For many, Ferguson became a turning point, part of a larger history of resistance and calls for change in the United States.

Alex: Soqui has said that this moment became part of what later shaped the Black Lives Matter movement.

Sid: Okay. Yeah, that makes this image hit way harder.

Ezra: So this isn’t just anger. It’s grief and standing up anyway.

Ollie: So when he covers his face with the flag, it’s not about hiding.

Alex: No, it’s about saying this is happening here.

Ollie: So this image is probably really difficult for some people.

Sid: So the flag here is protest. I wonder what he’d say if we interviewed him.

Ezra: Maybe protest, maybe protection, maybe something personal.

Ollie: He looks intense. Like there’s a lot behind his eyes.

Alex: Look, here’s another version of that photograph by Shepard Fairey. You know the guy who made that poster of Obama?

Sid: Yeah. Mr. Ramos shared that in class.

Ollie: Interesting. What is that in the top right corner?

Ezra: It looks like ripped news clippings. I see “riot,” and “officer,” and “LAPD.”

Ollie: That’s the Los Angeles Police Department. Let me see.

Alex: This says the 1992 LA uprisings happened after the officers involved in beating Rodney King were acquitted. Wait, they weren’t punished. “Communities were speaking out about years of frustration, racism, and unequal treatment.” My mom said this was a really, really difficult time in LA history.

Ollie: When was that again?

Alex: 1992.

Ollie: So Shepard Fairey took that photo from 2014 and added the 1992 LA uprisings.

Sid: Same flag, same person, but now connected to a much longer history.

Alex: Meaning of the American flag runs deep.

Sid: I can see how the American flag got so many reactions the other day.

Ollie: Good. Hold up.

Sid: Do we really want to cover this story? I’m not sure what story to tell. There’s so many different opinions on the flag. What are we trying to say?

Ollie: Let’s just keep interviewing for now. I mean, what have we heard so far? Some see service.

Sid: Some see safety.

Alex: Some see a system that hasn’t been fair.

Ollie: But some see possibility, even when it’s complicated. Okay. Let’s go. Okay. Ezra, what does the American flag mean to you?

Ezra: Well, when I see the American flag, I think of all the sacrifices my family made for me, you know?

Ollie: Hold on. Okay, so it’s not about the flag. This is about personal experiences and choices.

Sid: Uh huh. So who we are shapes how we view the flag.

[sound of fingers snapping]

Ollie: Okay, let’s go again. All right.

[inspiring music]

[sound of a button clicking]

Mr. Ramos: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

[sound of a button clicking]

Ezra: My mom is a naturalized citizen. So, um, the flag was hung in our apartment forever. Like proof that we finally belonged. So to me, it means possibility. Hope that this country can still become what it promises to be, even when the path is hard.

Sid: We should definitely include that.

Ollie: The American flag isn’t just one thing. It’s many, shaped by who we are, what our families lived through, and what we hope for.

Alex: You know, it never really felt like the flag was for me. But after talking to people this week, it made me realize that I’m not the only one with an opinion. I’m really glad that we listened. You know, not just argued.

Sid: This story might have been more for us than anybody else.

Ollie: A symbol isn’t just a symbol. It’s a story shaped by who’s looking at it.