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The U.S. national anthem is one of my favorite songs to sing. Despite not being American or feeling a strong attachment to the country, I often find myself singing parts of it to my friends or humming its melody. A beautiful, infectious tune that, for a few moments, instills in me a sense of American pride and the freedom the anthem celebrates. Recent events, however, prompt me to reconsider the question often sung with much verve and intensity: Does the star-spangled banner truly wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Following the announcement of Donald Trump's upcoming incumbency, several Black Americans received racist anonymous texts referencing slavery. Though the president-elect has no association with these messages, it is clear that some are emboldened to act in his name. Trump’s rhetoric, familiar to anyone who has heard of him, has historically targeted specific communities. Since his 2015 election campaign, Trump has repeatedly vilified groups – Muslim Americans, Latino immigrants, and most recently, legal Haitian immigrants – under the banner of “making America great again.” His comments have similarly impacted Black communities, notably through unrestrained attacks on the blackness of both Barack Obama and Kamala Harris during his presidential campaigns. Consequently, a fraction of his supporters now feel emboldened to express their prejudice through hate crimes such as the above-mentioned text messages and incidents like the January 6 attack, all under the rallying cry of the slogan.

If this is what the newly re-elected Trump elicits in a group of Americans, however small that group may be, what will become of the state of the country in light of Trump’s upcoming term? If the president can influence a minority of Americans to threaten and intimidate others, what does that say about the land’s freedom?

The place of Black Americans in the U.S. has always been fraught with tension. From slavery to Jim Crow, the fight for civil rights, and ongoing battles for equality, Black Americans have continuously fought for recognition as equals. One would think that they too have just as much of a claim to the American identity as their white counterparts do, with the amount of progress made, like the right to vote and the power to influence elections. The recent wave of text messages sent in at least ten states prove a chilling reality: many still live with the threat of racial violence in a land that prides itself on freedom and liberty for all.

Returning to the question posed by the anthem, I do not believe that the place that America has become is one that can boast of freedom for all who live within its borders. Its very citizens are still grappling with issues of racism and the restoration of an old America rooted in anti-black sentiment. There is no land of the free until all the citizens of that land can truly lay claim to that freedom.

Should the national anthem then be revised in order to fit the realities of all American citizens, especially those from the black community? I believe it should. Although the anthem was written to herald a great moment in American history, it is almost impossible to celebrate that history without acknowledging the insidious aspects of America’s past. In voluntary and involuntary ways, Black Americans have been influential in shaping the U.S. This impact should be reflected in the anthem, one of the most patriotic symbols of American pride and belonging. Revising the anthem is not impossible, nor is it without precedent. If the third stanza of the original text could be omitted out of courtesy for the British, then a few lines could be changed to recognize Black Americans.

It is, however, important that the question that ends the first stanza – the one that is usually only sung – remains, for in it lies the opportunity to critique the U.S. nation and the status of its citizens. Perhaps it is time that more Americans use their anthem as a tool for accountability, measuring the ideals of freedom and bravery against the lived experiences of all who call this land home.