‘The racist stain on our flag’
Mississippi’s state flag is racist by design. It’s incredibly easy to redesign our flag into one that doesn’t reflect racism, but rather displays the pride we all have as hospitable Mississippians. A flag symbolizes the people who fly it. Right now it looks like we’re a bunch of racists who resist change in the slightest ways. I’m ashamed to fly a flag designed with racism in mind.
In the top left corner of the Mississippi flag is a square part, the canton, that is the Confederate flag. The Confederate flag was designed by William Thompson. In a few editorials he let everyone know the intent behind his design. He said that the Confederate flag would “be hailed by the civilized world as the white man’s flag.”
The Confederate States was a group of states that seceded from the US. That means that they declared a reason to leave and form their own country. What was Mississippi’s reason for seceding? Well, when they declared it, they wrote it down. The first sentence of their declaration isn’t too interesting, but the second sentence sets the tone, saying, “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery – the greatest material interest of the world”.
Mississippi seceded from the United States to keep owning black people as slaves, per their own words. The states that seceded adopted William Thompson’s Confederate flag, designed with the intent of being a white man’s flag and uphold the symbolism that the white race was superior. That is what’s on our state flag. That is what every other state sees when they look at Mississippi. They see racism sewn into the fabric of our history. It’s time to change that.
The best way you can voice your opposition to this racist flag is to annoy your state representative by phone. Simply Google the words “who is my state legislator” and you’ll find his or her phone number easily.
Call and talk to a real person about getting rid of the racist stain on our flag once and for all. Ask that they allow it to be put to vote again. There are thousands of silent voters who weren’t old enough in 2001 when it was put to a vote, myself among them.
Laurin Stennis, John C. Stennis’ granddaughter, offered a wonderfully elegant redesign that I urge everyone to look up as well.
Jacob Owens
Oxford
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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