We will never see Mississippi’s Confederate flag fly again. It has been called “racist” and “offensive.” The lawmakers seem to want to change history by changing the flag, but the people should change their attitude – the flag was just fine!
Mississippi has been under constant pressure from numerous entities to remove the flag. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves acknowledged this pressure and agreed with the many who call the flag a symbol of racism, signing a law to remove it in June 2020.
37.8% of the state's population are African-Americans who see the flag’s Confederate emblem as a rejection of their equal rights. The Confederate flag flying is a reminder and glorification of slavery. We are in a different era, though humans are not for sale. Do you call your assistant or secretary a slave?
We are in a time when more white people are showing allyship and support for “Black Lives Matter,” supporting efforts to “defund police,” with recent violence seeming to divide white and black citizens further.
This issue has garnered unseen amounts of attention. Some see changing the flag as a spiritual victory, but what is so spiritual about changing a historic flag? The Rev. Isiac Jackson Jr., President of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention, is happy that his “prayers are answered.”
“Black folks in the state of Mississippi have been praying for the removal of that flag for over a hundred years,” said Jackson. “God fixed the hearts of former slave owners’ children to bow to the will of God and remove that flag.”
Many claim that the Confederate Flag somehow holds them down and prevents advancement, but they do not explain how. It would be great if leaders like Jackson had something to say about important issues, like the declining health of Mississippi’s economy.
Many had issues with Jim Crow and its laws, so they had them removed. Many also have problems with Hitler and work to remove any literary piece that mentions his name. Is this how we should treat history?
There are also issues with the new flag, the “Magnolia Flag,” put forth by the legislature. It includes the controversial phrase “In God We Trust.” Many are not religious and respect the separation of church and state. Though there are people like Rev. Jackson who presume the change was a response from God.
Mississippi has a diverse population, and that is not limited to race. One in four people identifies as non-religious. If the goal of the new flag is “unity,” why introduce a unique point of separation between religious versus non-religious citizens?
“It is time for us to change our state flag to reflect our people's love, compassion, and conviction,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. Was it just the flag holding the Attorney General back from showing love for all citizens, white and black?
Mississippi has the highest African-American population in the country and the fourth-largest rural population. The majority of the population is, however mostly white, elderly, and non-college-educated adults. According to a survey of this population, the Confederate Flag doesn’t represent “racism” but “heritage.”
For these Mississippians, the removal of the flag is removing history and the heritage of the state. There are larger issues to consider in the world we live in, and the attitude and thinking towards blacks is causing the pain perceived by blacks, not the symbol. We should have left the flag alone.
