/Now is the time’ Mississippi NAACP leader urges lawmakers to change state flag quickly

Now is the time’ Mississippi NAACP leader urges lawmakers to change state flag quickly

Mississippi Today: Do Mississippi’s flag represent Mississippi right now? James: Right now, the flag represents secession from the Union. It is a symbol of prejudice. It is a symbol of our past and history, which does not and won’t unify citizens as one group. This flag is not representative of us, the citizens, of Mississippi, if we live in a state that continues to perpetuate hate and racism. It did not unify us citizens of Mississippi. It is my belief that it is a continuing cry for the Confederacy’s lost cause. It has remained there because of that. I call upon the legislators to act in this moment. It is a time to act, it’s a season for action, it’s their turn to vote to remove this symbol of hatred from our state. It is time to do this. Mississippi Today: What’s the deal? It seems that now is the first time for a long while that legislators are actually having meaningful conversations about changing the state’s flag.