That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown

Abstract

Reviewed by: That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Brown, Tameka Fryer That Flag; illus. by Nikkolas Smith. Harper, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063093447 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 6-9 yrs At school, Keira and Bianca are best pals, but at home, the Black girl and white girl are not allowed to play together. While no reason is directly given, Keira is pretty sure it has something to do with the flag that flies above Bianca’s house, the flag that Keira’s parents say is a “symbol of violence and oppression” but Bianca’s parents call a heritage flag, “a celebration of courage and pride.” After a field trip to the Southern Legacy Museum lays out the terrible past the flag represents, Keira’s angered and saddened that her best friend can’t see the painful truth behind “Southern pride.” Keira’s contemplative narration is realistically hesitant as she reckons with the violence of our country’s racist foundations and the present injustices she’s forced to recognize but Bianca can safely ignore. Bianca’s parents do eventually taken down the flag, but only after the deaths of two Black people by three white men shame the family into reflection. While Keira doesn’t totally let Bianca off the hook, she’s probably more generous than most would be with Bianca’s contrition. By having Keira’s parents accompany their daughter to the museum, then telling her their own experiences with racism, Brown nods to the complexity of conveying the past [End Page 115] (and present) of Black trauma, without making it the primary vehicle to educate white people or to singularly define Black lives. Smith’s painterly illustrations background solidly defined figures against smudged swoops and dynamic textures, and Keira and her family are particularly expressive. Paired with The Talk (BCCB 10/22), this makes a layered introduction to issues around white supremacy and racism that is still accessible to young readers. Back matter includes a brief history of the Confederate flag, along with notes from the author and illustrator. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois