Ansley Dale
Reporter
The events of the past few years have caused many Mississippians to reconsider the design of the state flag. For many people, the Confederate symbology within the flag that had been used since 1894 was misrepresentative of the majority of current Mississippi residents. For them, the Confederate battle flag symbolizes hate and division.
Before action was taken this summer by the state legislature and governor, Mississippi University for Women approached the situation progressively. The W decided in 2016 to remove the state flag from the campus flagpole at the front gate.
President Nora Miller asked the Student Government Association, Faculty Senate and Staff Council to engage The W community in a conversation about the flag and its place on campus. Students agreed that it was time for a change and felt the flag was an eyesore to The W’s campus.
The W’s president joined in a public statement this summer by the eight public universities in Mississippi supporting the NCAA ban on postseason events until the state flag was changed. The last line of the statement read: “We look forward to a time when Mississippi’s state flag unites Mississippians, rather than divides us.”
On June 30 of this year Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill into law that removed the Confederate battle flag and called for the formation of a commission to redesign the state flag. That commission’s choice for a new state flag will be up for a vote on the Nov. 3 ballot.
William Balestrino, a junior at The W and vice president of the Honors Student Council, said he is happy about the change.
“As someone who is not from Mississippi but has deep roots in Mississippi through my family, along with my time here at The W, the changing of the state flag means the world,” said Balestrino. “For many people, parts of the old flag represented a hate that has instilled itself not only in the South, but around the world for far too long.
“I personally look forward to whichever flag I voted for in November, and it will be a welcome sight to be seen around the state as we continue as a community and a nation to grow towards a better future,” said Balestrino.
Changing the state flag has been a gradual process that has taken place over the last few years. Many public businesses and government offices ceased flying the flag before legislators took action. In November, Mississippians will get to cast their votes for or against a new state flag design.
About 3,000 designs were submitted to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and voters narrowed down the choices to five designs and then to just two designs. On Sept. 2, one flag was chosen out of the two finalists to represent Mississippi on the ballot.
The state commission selected the “Magnolia Flag” as its choice.
The “Magnolia Flag” was crafted by Hunter Jones, Sue Anna Jones and Kara Giles. It features a magnolia flower surrounded by 21 stars (20 white, one gold) representing Mississippi as the 20th state with the gold star being the tribute to Native Americans who first inhabited Mississippi. The symbols are situated in the middle of a navy banner. On the hoist and fly sides are red panels separated from the blue with a gold stripe.
In a statement for the Clarion Ledger, Gov. Tate Reeves commended the new design saying he prefers the magnolia as an appropriate representation of Mississippi.
“I think they did a good job,” said Reeves. “A well-done flag.”
Mississippi residents will be able to vote to keep this design or reject it. If it is rejected, the commission will return to the drawing board and look for another design for the state flag.