Americans as of late have been feuding mightily over the concept of “heritage, not hate”.
The saying has been popularized by folks who wish to preserve the symbolism of the American Confederacy, claiming that perhaps their use of the Confederate battle flag is coming from a place of historical context.
Those who disagree often point out that the popularization of the “stars and bars” flag did not occur until the mid-1960’s, one hundred years after the Confederacy ceased to exist, and only then did it make a comeback on the grounds that it would offend Civil Rights demonstrators.
Now, an entire US state is weighing in on the controversy.
Mississippi lawmakers voted Sunday to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War.
Spectators cheered and applauded after the historic votes in the House and Senate.
Each chamber had broad bipartisan support for the landmark decision. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag will lose its official status as soon as he acts. That could happen “in coming days,” said his spokeswoman, Renae Eze.
Mississippi has a 38% Black population — and the last state flag with the emblem that’s widely seen as racist. The state faced mounting pressure to change its flag as weeks of international protests against racial injustice in the United States have led to the toppling or removal of Confederate statues and monuments.
After an emotional day Sunday, legislators hugged each other — even those on opposing sides.
Mississippi had been saddled with some difficulties after the Ole Miss and University of Mississippi college football teams both facing major obstacles in returning to the field after the SEC implored the the state’s flag be changed.
