Just days before the 4th of July holiday and America celebrates its 250th birthday, the American flag and what it means to the country’s citizens still remain a contentious subject. This is especially true for Black Americans. Depending on race, age, and politics, patriotism means something different, and a recent survey proves it.

According to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (AP-NORC), only about 3 in 10 Black adults say they ever fly the American flag. Republicans and older white adults are much more likely to display the flag, while younger Democrats and Black adults are more likely to say they do not.

The findings show a familiar split in how Americans read the stars and stripes. For some, the flag is a simple sign of freedom and pride; for others, especially many Black Americans, it can also carry the weight of exclusion, a dark history, and unequal treatment.

“A lot of Black Americans see the flag as a symbol of both inclusion and exclusion,” said Matthew Delmont, professor of American history at Dartmouth College, to the Associated Press.

In the survey, views of its meaning varied sharply by group. The AP-NORC poll found that only 22% of Black adults see the flag as a unifying symbol, compared with 55% of white adults and 42% of Hispanic adults. Overall, 47% of respondents described the flag as more unifying, while 16% called it more divisive and 36% said it was neither. That gap just further highlights the myriad experiences of what it means to be an American in this country.

For some Black Americans, flying the flag is tied to family history, survival, and progress. For others, it can feel disconnected from present-day realities, including political conflict and unequal opportunity. The poll suggests the nation’s most recognizable symbol still inspires pride, but not a single shared meaning.

“Black Americans, more so than white Americans, also understand the flag can be used to justify a version of patriotism that is rooted in exclusion, with the flag being used to say ‘you don’t belong here,’” said Delmont.