Debate over the Mississippi state flag

Amid racial tensions across the U.S., debate is heating up again here in Mississippi regarding the controversial state flag.

The Mississippi state flag is once again at the forefront of many discussions, especially if and how it should be replaced. Mississippi Rising Coalition Founding President Lea Campbell said, “A flag with the Confederate emblem which represents a government that fought for the preservation of slavery is just unacceptable.”

Campbell is encouraged by the fact that a bipartisan group of state legislators have expressed a willingness to change the flag. “It’s really refreshing to see some cooperation across party lines on an issue that will progress our state.”

Despite this, Governor Tate Reeves on Monday indicated that any decision regarding the flag should be made by state residents, similar to the 2001 referendum where voters elected to keep the current flag. Governor Tate Reeves said, “If and when Mississippians decide that they want to change the flag, and I think at some point they will, and then it ought to be the people of Mississippi.”

In a poll posted on our Facebook page, one supporter for the current flag referenced its part in the state’s history, while another commenter opposed to it has changed their opinion after reading about its history.

If the flag were to be changed, however, Campbell hopes all state residents can come together to find a new design that represents everyone. “It needs to be made collectively and it needs to be made in the process that centers the voices of the people who have been most impacted by the harm that that symbol has caused.”