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Mississippi Removes Confederate Battle Standard from State Flag

Mississippi Removes Confederate Battle Standard from State Flag
folder_openUnited States access_time3 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

America’s Mississippi State lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from the upper corner of its state flag following widespread protests against systemic racism in the United States, as well as symbols associated with its racist past.

The bill passed in the state’s House of Representatives with a 91-23 majority, drawing cheers from senators watching above, who made the measure law after voting 37-14 in favor of the motion.

Relatively, a new flag will be commissioned and given to state residents to vote on. Mississippi is the last state to switch out Confederate symbols from its flag after Georgia did so in 2003.

The current vote sharply contrasts a similar vote in 2001, where the state overwhelmingly voted to retain what many feel is a dark reminder of the state’s racial legacy.

After the police killing of George Floyd, and unarmed Minnesota black man, protests have swept the US in response. In the wake of the public outcry, the flag has been banned from sporting events such as NASCAR races, where it was a staple.

Governor Tate Reeves said he'd sign the bill, but tweeted ahead of the vote that overcoming racism “will be harder than recovering from tornadoes, harder than historic floods... even harder than battling the coronavirus.”

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