Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Southern US State Drops Confederate-Themed Flag

Associated Press

   JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI - With a stroke of the governor's pen, the
   Southern state of Mississippi is retiring the last state flag in the
   United Stateswith the Confederate battle emblem -- a symbol that's
   widely condemned as racist.

   Republican GovernorTate Reeves signed the historicbill Tuesday at the
   Governor's Mansion, immediately removing official status for the
   126-year-old banner that has been a source of division for

   generations.

   "This is not a political moment to me but a solemn occasion to lead our
   Mississippi family to come together, to be reconciled and to move on,"
   Reeves said on live TV just before the signing. "We are a resilient
   people defined by our hospitality. We are a people of great faith. Now,
   more than ever, we must lean on that faith, put our divisions behind
   us, and unite for a greater good."

   Mississippi has faced increasing pressure to change its flag since
   protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate
   symbols in recent weeks.

   A broad coalition of legislators on Sunday passed the landmark
   legislation to change the flag, capping a weekend of emotional debate
   and decades of effort by Black lawmakers and others who see the rebel
   emblem as a symbol of hatred.

.