According
to reporting by CNN, Mississippi, after pressure from corporate as well as
social justice organizations, is moving away from their traditional state flag.
The flag, which sports the insignia of the Confederacy, has been defunct since
June, but the path to get there has not been a direct one.
Governor
Tate Reeves has long maintained the stance that it is up to the voters to
decide if they want to change the state flag, but that stance changed. In the
wake of immense pressure from organizations like the SEC, which previously stated that they would hold no
championship games in the state if the Confederate logo was not removed, the
governor changed his position. He stated that he would be willing to sign
legislation that started the process.
State
legislators had the bill on his desk in days, which he recently signed, and the
process of finding a new flag has begun. The state has now narrowed the field
of flags to five, down from 3,000 initial flag options, which the public can vote
on. The "flag polls" have been open for some time now, allowing the public to
weigh in on their favorite, and over 48,000 votes had already come in as of
this past Monday.
The five
finalists each have a design esthetic that ranges from minimalist modern to
traditional and old-fashioned. They include such symbols as the magnolia flower
(the state flower of Mississippi), waves of the Mississippi River, and Native
American insignia.
Whatever the state residents vote, this is a big moment in history for Mississippi.
To see all five of the final flag designs, click HERE.
