Post by Odysseus on Jul 1, 2020 0:30:46 GMT
About 120 years behind schedule...
On Tuesday, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a bill fast-tracked by the Mississippi legislature over the weekend that calls for a new design.
In a somber ceremony Reeves said he was signing the law to turn a page in Mississippi.
First adopted in 1894 by white supremacists reclaiming power after Reconstruction, the old flag incorporated the Confederate battle emblem – a red background with a blue X lined with 13 white stars.
Since the civil rights movement, activists have been calling for its removal, arguing it's an outdated banner in a state that has a 38% African American population.
In a somber ceremony Reeves said he was signing the law to turn a page in Mississippi.
First adopted in 1894 by white supremacists reclaiming power after Reconstruction, the old flag incorporated the Confederate battle emblem – a red background with a blue X lined with 13 white stars.
Since the civil rights movement, activists have been calling for its removal, arguing it's an outdated banner in a state that has a 38% African American population.