New Jersey Park Removes Mississippi Flag From Local Display, Denounces Its Confederate Roots
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) – A battle between two governors is brewing over a flag in New Jersey's Liberty State Park.
Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered the Mississippi state flag removed from a display that includes each of the 50 state flags and overlooks the Statue of Liberty.
The Mississippi flag displays a confederate battle emblem in the upper left corner. Murphy said, because of that, the flag does not reflect the values of "inclusivity and equality."
Murphy said he made the decision after Democratic state Sen. Sandra Cunningham raised the issue with him.
Cunningham said in a statement that the flag symbolized "an era of hate, violence, and division."
On Saturday, Mississippi's governor, Phil Bryant, said he's disappointed in the decision and that his state's voters should decide what is represented on their flag and what is not.
Mississippians, who voted in a 2001 statewide election, chose to keep the flag.
Several Mississippi cities and counties and all eight of the state's public universities have stopped flying it in recent years amid criticism that the battle emblem is a racist reminder of slavery and segregation. Supporters of the flag say it represents history.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)