Mississippi Holds On To State Flag With Confederate Symbol
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- White supremacists waved the Confederate battle flag amid weekend violence in Virginia, prompting critics to say Mississippi should remove the symbol from its state banner.
Critics said the same thing two years ago after an avowed white supremacist killed black worshippers in South Carolina, and nothing changed.
The same leaders who control Mississippi flag legislation remain in office, with the Republican governor and lieutenant governor still saying flag design should be determined by a statewide election.
Voters rejected a change in a 2001 referendum.
Mississippi is the last state with a flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem -- a red field topped by a blue tilted cross dotted with 13 white stars.
Supporters say the flag represents history, while opponents say it harkens to slavery and segregation.
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