Three Mississippi state flags have been removed from the flagpoles outside the State Capitol after the government’s decision to strip the flag of its official status because it contains a Confederate emblem.
Following the removal of the flags that had represented the state for 126 years, the flags have been officially retired and sent to a museum.
The historic bill backing the stripping of the Mississippi flag of its official status was signed by Gov. Reeves who insisted the decision was made “to lead our Mississippi family to come together.”
“This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our Mississippi family to come together, to be reconciled and to move on,” the governor expressed prior to the signing of the bill.
“We are a resilient people defined by our hospitality. We are a people of great faith. Now, more than ever, we must lean on that faith, put our divisions behind us, and unite for a greater good.”
While the removed flags will now have a home at the Museum of Mississippi History according to the reports, the new flag is set to include the motto ‘In God We Trust’. It must not, however, include the Confederate symbol.
In addition, the design for the new flag will have to be approved by voters in November. In case the design gets rejected, a new design under the same guidelines will be prepared by the commission.
For years, the activists had been advocating for the reform of the controversial state flag, arguing that the Confederate symbol causes division and brings back memories of darker times.
“We have much to be proud of and much to reckon with. This flag has flown over our best and our worst,” House Speaker Philip Gunn, who had been advocating the flag’s removal for several years, expressed.
“Some flew it over their bravery to defend their homeland. And for others, it’s been a shadow over their struggle to be free.”
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Replaced!