I pledge allegiance to the flag...that is currently draped around Lizzo’s naked body.
Of course, Lizzo would post the most creative and inspiring election message of 2020. While other celebrities are posting thirst selfies encouraging their fans to vote, Lizzo has set the new standard for how to be patriotic without glossing over the very real issues we currently face as a nation.
In a frankly amazing picture posted to Instagram, the singer can be seen wearing half of an American flag, while her loose hair floats down her back and her eyes are affixed on the sky. That alone would be enough to inspire me to spontaneously burst out into the “Star Spangled Banner” — hail to the chief, indeed — but Lizzo’s not one for empty gestures. She captioned her work of art with a moving declaration about why she still has hope in a country that has repeatedly let her down.
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“When I think of this country I don’t think of its laws, I think of its people,” she wrote. "I think about how we were raised to be patriotic of violence, propaganda & war. I think about how this country is owned by the oppressor and how the oppressed are locked in a valley of capitalism. But I also think of the young people who refuse to be spoon fed mistruths. I think of the elders who bucked against hateful prejudices even when it felt impossible.... Because of you, I’m still hopeful.”
She continued with a rousing call to imagine a better future, one where America “listens to the cries of the protester and doesn’t politicize death” and respects “communities of people who owned America before colonizers renamed it.”
“It may not be tomorrow it may not be today,” she added, “but it will be one day if we stay activated. We the people, ALL the people, deserve it.”
The singer’s social media feed has been a source of joy and inspiration in recent weeks. Just six days ago, she posted about casting her vote, clad in an American-flag crop top (sensing a theme?) and pink sparkly boots. Over the weekend, , she posted a picture of herself dressed as the fly that famously camped out on Mike Pence’s head during the Vice Presidential debate, with the caption “Flyyyyyy AF.”
But her activism hasn't stopped at artfully curated posts. In August, the singer launched an eyewear collaboration with Australian sunglasses company Quay, and donated $100,000 from the launch to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Lawyers’ Committee campaign. Earlier this month, she walked the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards in mini-dress emblazoned with the word "VOTE." And on Saturday, Lizzo was in her home state of Michigan campaigning for Joe Biden. She told the crowd that she hadn’t been on a plane since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, "But when I heard about all you guys are doing out here in Detroit, working so hard, getting on a plane was the least I could do to say thank you in person."
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