Mississippi Rules To Remove Confederate Symbol From Its Flag

Mississippi lawmakers have decided to drop a confederate symbol from the state flag after it was adopted more than a century ago by white supremacist lawmakers. 

What Happened

The bill to change the state flag received bipartisan support in both the chambers of the Mississippi legislature. 

Tate Reeves, the Republican governor, has said he will sign the bill over the next few days, which will end the official status for the current flag.

The move led to euphoric scenes as legislators embraced each other inside the chambers, while people outside the Capitol cheered and applauded.

The new flag of Mississippi cannot contain the Confederate emblem and must include the words “In God We Trust.”

Why It Matters

According to MarketWatch, Mississippi has been under pressure to change its flag as protests decrying racism gather momentum in the United States. 

The state has 38% of African American population. Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn has been calling for a change in the flag for the last five years as he deemed it offensive. 

A number of cities in the state and all of Mississippi’s public universities have taken down the former flag.

The state’s Supreme Court said in 2000 that the Mississippi banner lacked official status, but attempts made to decide the flag’s future led to acrimony.

In 2001, the future of the flag was put to the ballot, and people decided to retain the flag, reported MarketWatch.

Last week, Walmart Inc. WMT said it would not display the Mississippi flag outside its local stores.