Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on Tuesday signed a bill into law replacing the current state flag that includes a Confederate emblem.
The removal of the flag in one of the breakaway Southern states that fought in the 1860’s American Civil War follows the death of George Floyd, a man killed while in police custody in Minnesota. His death has sparked nationwide protests and triggered demands from some for the removal of statues of Confederate leaders, Christopher Columbus and others.
“I understand the need to commit the 1894 flag to history and find a banner that is a better emblem for all Mississippi,” Reeves said in a televised address. “We must understand that all who want change are not attempting to erase history.”
The measure the Mississippi’s first-term Republican governor signed also created a commission to design a new state flag. Voters will have the opportunity to approve the design in November, according to a statement from Reeves’ office.
The state flag, which prominently features the so-called Confederate battle flag, had flown above the state Capitol building in Jackson for 126 years. It was taken down this weekend after state lawmakers approved the bill, according to local media.
In the 19th century, Southern states, faced with the prospect of having to give up slavery, formed the Confederacy and broke away from the United States, leading to the 1861-1865 Civil War. Symbols of the failed rebellion were erected throughout the South during the years of racial segregation and violence known as the Jim Crow era.
