June 22, 2020

As Symbols of the Confederacy Fall, Activists Say Mississippis Flag Should Be Next
ATLANTA -- Five years ago, in the wake of the horrific massacre of Black parishioners by a white supremacist at a South Carolina church, the University of Mississippi lowered the state flag for the last time on campus as Confederate symbols were being brought down across the South.The chancellor then said the state's emblem, the nation's only state flag featuring the Confederate battle flag, failed to align with "our core values, such as civility and respect for others." All eight of Mississippi's public universities also stopped flying the flag, joined by cities across the state, including Grenada, Magnolia, Starkville, Clarksdale and Yazoo City. Jackson, the state capital, also decided not to fly it on city property.In the long, passionate debate across the South over rooting out Confederate symbols, Mississippi's flag remains one of the most conspicuous holdouts -- with the battle flag of the Confederacy vividly embedded at the heart of the state flag. And for decades, many in the state have resisted recurring efforts to change it, seeing in the flag a proud reminder of their ancestors' bloodshed in fighting for Mississippi.Now as Confederate monuments and symbols are being furiously toppled yet again, the debate over the Mississippi flag has been reinvigorated. Supporters of removing the battle flag, once and for all, say the national ferment set off by the death of George Floyd has provided a level of momentum they have not had before."This is the time we're going to get this done," said the Rev. Darren Leach, the senior pastor at Genesis Church, a nondenominational congregation in Columbus, Mississippi, near the Alabama state line. "It's a good chance for the good people of Mississippi to just do what they know they should do: Get us out from under this blight. The flag is a blight."The pressure has ratcheted up in recent weeks as forces outside Mississippi have denounced the flag.The National Collegiate Athletic Association announced on Friday that it will not host championship events in states where the Confederate battle flag is a prominent, sanctioned symbol, a rule change that essentially singles out Mississippi. That came a day after the Southeastern Conference demanded for the flag to be changed, threatening similar fallout in terms of championship events.The moves amplify the economic concerns attached to the debate over the flag, with business leaders saying keeping the flag as it is risks further financial harm to a state that is already one of the poorest in the country."When recruiting against other regions for employers, image matters," John Hairston, the president and chief executive of Hancock Whitney, a banking company with branches across the region, wrote in an essay published in The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi. "We need a brand that showcases our capable work force, competitive cost of living, and superb quality of life. Simultaneously, we should be mindful that there are images which create division and distraction. One of those images is the current state flag."Defenders of the flag have mobilized, viewing the challenge to the flag as a renewed assault mounted against their history."I don't think we're really talking about flags anymore," Chris McDaniel, a Republican state senator, said in a Facebook live video for his supporters. "It's more important than that: I think we're talking about a structural and cultural revolution being pushed by the radical left, the intolerant left."He urged viewers to call state lawmakers and demand them to thwart any effort to change the flag. "This is not about a flag," McDaniel said. "It's about finally and firmly saying no."The flag remains deeply polarizing in the state, with one poll taken this month reporting a statistical tie on the question of whether the state symbol should be retired. The poll conducted by Chism Strategies, a progressive advocacy group based in Mississippi, found that the divisions cleaved largely along racial and partisan lines.Opponents of changing the flag contended that the matter had already been decided, pointing to the statewide referendum in 2001 in which voters overwhelmingly decided against replacing the Confederate symbol in the flag with 20 white stars, a recognition of Mississippi's place as the 20th state to join the union.Five years ago, the killing of nine congregants inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, set off a similar reckoning, bringing down Confederate monuments and symbols. South Carolina and Alabama lowered the Confederate flags that had continued to fly on statehouse grounds.A coalition of activists, elected officials and business leaders, among others, attempted again to change the Mississippi flag. Conservative political leaders joined in calling for a change, including the state's two U.S. senators and the speaker of the Mississippi House. Still, the resistance was too stiff.In recent weeks, many in the state Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, had indicated their support for a change. One option under consideration is adding a second official state flag.A survey of lawmakers conducted last week by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization, found that 63 members of the House and Senate wanted the Legislature to change the flag; seven wanted to keep the flag; and 51 from both houses wanted voters to decide."The options we've got are for the Legislature to take the leadership role, or put it to a referendum," said Philip Gunn, the Republican House speaker, according to Mississippi Today, adding, "I've always maintained that I feel the Legislature should take the leadership role."Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, has said that he believes it should be up to the voters. Asked about his own view of the flag in a recent news conference, he replied, "I see a flag that the vast majority of Mississippians voted in 2001 to maintain as Mississippi's state flag."Those past failed efforts have tempered any sense of unfettered optimism in changing the flag this time around. Yet supporters contend that perception of the flag has been weakened as cities and other institutions acted on their own, and that the broader movement for racial change unfolding across the country helps them gain traction."This is something new," said Shennette Garrett-Scott, a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Mississippi, adding of those leading the charge now, "They are able to leverage that past dissent, that past activism and past coalition work to really push the state in a way that it has never been pushed."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.