In preparation for my participation in the April 5 protest on Martha’s Vineyard, I pondered what kind of poster I should carry.
In preparation for my participation in the April 5 protest on Martha’s Vineyard, I pondered what kind of poster I should carry. Sen. Cory Booker’s 25-hour filibuster and his prophetic words came to mind: “If America hasn’t broken your heart, then you don’t love her enough.”
So I decided to paint a simple image — a broken heart, unmistakably styled as the American flag.
Indeed, all my life, I’ve loved America.
I loved America despite the enslavement of my ancestors. I loved America through the horrors of Jim Crow and the economic consequences of discrimination, a system that denied my family, and millions like mine, even a fraction of the wealth available to White America.
I loved America while watching my father, one of the top five Black golfers of his era, die at age 46 of a broken heart. He could not compete with the White golfers whose bags he carried. I bring up my father not to elicit sympathy, but to establish context. Dare I say, there are few, if any, Black Americans whose parents, and their parents before them, have not seen their talents dwarfed by racism.
I loved America for the long, painful struggle for civil rights, and for the hope that struggle inspired.
I loved America for the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the groundswell of support for diversity, equity and inclusion following George Floyd’s murder.
I loved America for electing its first Black President, and for nominating a Black woman as a Presidential candidate.
But now, in the blink of an eye, in a broken heartbeat, the history of families like mine is being erased. The scaffolding that upheld basic rights for marginalized people is being dismantled.
And as if that weren’t enough, the modest savings and financial stability of millions of seniors like me are under threat too.
America has broken my heart.
And yet, I still love America. Because I believe a broken heart does not end love but hardens the spine, while the heart remains the source for defying wrongs that only love can right.
So, on April 5, I was there — with my broken heart held high.
Harry Seymour lives in Oak Bluffs.
Comments
As tough as it is. I still
Leni Preston Bethesda MDAs tough as it is. I still love America too. Tha k you for putting it, so eloquently, into words.
Heartbreakingly Eloquent!
Ardell Oak BluffsHeartbreakingly Eloquent! Thank you Harry for expressing in design and prose the feelings of so many of us.
Harry, you give my heart hope
Elaine Cawley Weintraub West TisburyHarry, you give my heart hope. I stand with you. We must not despair.
I love all the things that
Susanna J. Sturgis West TisburyI love all the things that Harry Seymour loves about America, but I've always had a hard time getting the things I don't love out of the way. Over the decades I've hardened my heart against disappointment -- against, I can now see, the prospect of a broken heart. But as Mr. Seymour says, "a broken heart does not end love but hardens the spine." A broken heart keeps beating. If a broken heart joins with hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of others, it is indeed "the source for defying wrongs that only love can right." Thank you so much for this.
Bravo Harry!
Toni Kauffman Oak BuffsBravo Harry!
So much of what you have expressed is what many have felt historically and continue to feel in 2025!
My heart is heavy for the red, white and blue, stars and stripes, used, abused and misrepresented!
However, my heart remains intact, yet I am profoundly disappointed!
I have to ask myself, why did I get on the bus to Boston Saturday, April 5th and stand in a sea of like minded folks! The answer is simple. I can't imagine living anywhere else even though more than half of the populace of this nation are caught up in a web of lies and ignorance spewed out each day by someone who has absolutely no regard for them or their well-being. They are a means to an end that doesn't include them. They have been blinded by a promise, which will not be kept.
I didn't carry a sign!
I wore a sweatshirt proclaiming "GET IN THE WAY." John Lewis spoke these words, and lived them his entire life. Youth has faded and memories of a different time are present, but it is not too late be a part of a movement! Yes, with a small, determined voice, one vote or action we can all be participants not just spectators! Never doubt, it ALL matters!
Thank you, Harry, for
Naina Lassiters Williams Oak BluffsThank you, Harry, for poignantly summarizing how so many of us feel. The national outcry last Saturday and your words inspire and give hope…and as Marvin said it best, ”we’ve got to find a way to bring some loving here today”…and you have helped to do just that…thank you!
Thanks for an eloquent and
John Farrell Freeport, MaineThanks for an eloquent and uplifting statement of love, endurance and hope.
Harry, your words have
Alvin Chisolm New Rochelle, NYHarry, your words have captured my feelings precisely. I too love America and always have. However, America has broken my heart.
Thanks Harry for your
Sissy Biggers Oak BluffsThanks Harry for your eloquence and perspective in art and life.
Thank you, Harry. I feel
Ted Glattke Tucson, AZThank you, Harry. I feel that Cory Booker, you, and other brave people will help us to find our way again.
Please take Corey Booker
he's all yours NJ & MVPlease take Corey Booker "spartacus' to AZ He's done nothing for his constituents and is a total embarrassment to the residents of NJ.
Beautiful, eloquent, and
Karen Sankey Plymouth and EdgartownBeautiful, eloquent, and moving. I don't share your ancestral history, but I do share your feelings. We must all band together and heal our broken country.
Harry, Thanks for putting
Dick Iacovello Vineyard HavenHarry, Thanks for putting yourself out there, I feel our friendship has grown as the years have gone by.
This is probably the most important way to spread our dissatisfaction, I was there and frustrated but happy it was
a peaceful demonstration.It seemed there were so many causes to support, You hit on the main theme!
Democracy. Thank you, Dick
Harry: I join the chorus of
Wayne Budd Oak BluffsHarry: I join the chorus of grateful readers who have stated so well their reactions to your “love of America “ … I love our Country as well despite the bitter disappointments we have suffered and endured in the past and those we are currently experiencing … You remind us that despite the heartbreak , this is our Country and we must remain steadfast and strong in being here and ever seeking to share in the bounty of America …
Thank you for your brilliance
Matgo B Los AngelesThank you for your brilliance, insight and vision.
A broken heart is a
Maggie JohannesburgA broken heart is a reflection of the intensity of the love shared.
Thank you Dear Brother Harry,
Alonzo Thompson FloridaThank you Dear Brother Harry, for your heartfelt expression of your feelings. Mine are exactly the same to the degree that it has even affected my health.
My thoughts, prayers, and love are with you always, and in all ways! ... Al
Dear Harry: I wish I had your
Noel Fearon Trumbull, CtDear Harry: I wish I had your eloquent command of the language you used, you express my feelings to the letter. I can only think of profanities' to express the feelings. Thank you!
Harry, once again, has nailed
Frederick Rundlet TisburyHarry, once again, has nailed it with his sign that stood out in the sea of other protesters. I don't know what is worse ... a broken heart or a compromised mind set. We are weak but not without resolve. Resist and beware of the obvious moving forward.
Thank you Harry for so
Alvin Johnson Naples Fl.Thank you Harry for so eloquently making the point of your broken heart. I share your feelings in that I too love America in spite of its treatment of my ancestors and because of the opportunities it has provided me and others. With my broken heart, I pray that once again the resilient people of this great nation will band with you and others in resisting the current state of affairs.
Thank you. Your words have
Elizabeth Quinson Suffern, NY and Oak Bluffs, MAThank you. Your words have helped lift up my own broken heart.
This helps heal my heart.
Margot Lane menemshaThis helps heal my heart.
Harry, your words ring out
Ocean Eversley FalmouthHarry, your words ring out like a powerful spiritual anthem—infused with grief yet fiercely unwavering—a lament forged through lived experience that still pulses with hope. The image of you gripping that tattered flag of heartbreak sign transcends protest; it stands as a profound testament. You remind us that the heart breaks not to shatter but to create space for justice to flow more freely. Your voice embodies both an elegy and a clarion call to action, and I am profoundly moved by your unwavering courage to bear heartache as a banner while clinging to a vision of a country truly worth loving.
I am a little confused, What
Scott Prescott N. AugustaI am a little confused, What is Broken. We are talking about change and growth. America is constantly changing. It appears that this author is against change, which is impossible.
Dr. Seymour seems to never
Arnell Brady Chicago, IllinoisDr. Seymour seems to never fail to put the right Illuminating words to a picture. Thanks for sharing!
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