James Baldwin once said that for a Black child, ‘It comes as a great shock … to discover that the flag to which you have pledged allegiance…has not pledged allegiance to you.’ Baldwin inspired me to pursue a life spent trying to make sure the American flag pledges allegiance to the overlooked too. My American flag is gigantic and all-encompassing: all races, all colors, all religions, all genders, all sexual orientations, all disabilities, the rich and the poor…you name it.