Time is now for Mississippi to adopt a new flag

Recently, I watched the movie “Selma,” which made me realize that if white people in that day did not take a stand alongside the black people who led the charge against racism, civil rights would not have advanced as quickly as it did. This compelled me to write that it is possible Mississippi is behind other states at times because it is unwilling to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state flag. The battle flag is a symbol that is associated with white supremacy worldwide.

I respect the people who value the battle flag as a part of our Southern heritage and would wholeheartedly defend keeping the flag as-is if I did not see how its roots in racism is a constant reminder to so many of our fellow citizens who identify it as an expression of hate toward people of color.

It is time for the people of Mississippi to adopt a new flag.

A wise woman told me once that when we focus on the problem we become part of the problem; however, when we focus on solution we become part of the solution. Let all races and the leaders of our state unite to retire the battle flag to its place in history in our museums, which will remove one more source of division so we can spend our energy to focus on the future instead of looking back.

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 4:45 AM with the headline "Time is now for Mississippi to adopt a new flag."