Video: State Flag At Louisville Memorial

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LOUISVILLE, Miss.(WCBI)–In April a memorial in Louisville complete with a state flag was dedicated in honor of 10 tornado victims. Five of those victims are descendants of slaves and some community members are asking that the flag with confederate emblems be removed.

As community members gather at the latest monument to tornado victims at Memorial Park Cemetery, Elmetra Patterson proudly points to the names of relative engraved for future generations to see. Such a beautiful monument and dedication honoring those who perished that day.

“However it was very painful to me when they raised the flag, the Mississippi flag which has within it the confederate flag,” said Elmetra Patterson/Louisville.

“The purpose of this memorial is to honor those lives. And we need to as, a community embrace that, and if there is something there that represents hatred and negative things to these families. I think that we need to really have these discussions and let everybody be heard,” said Mellie Jordan/Louisville.

Surviving tornado victims and others from the community rally support for taking down the flag used since 1894.

“You know we need to have togetherness unity in this country, in the state, in this nation. And to remove something like that flag would be a wonderful thing,” said Pastor Willie Goss Jr./Louisville.

While state and national leaders are rethinking what is being viewed as a symbol of a brutally oppressive past, people of this local community are hoping for change on a smaller level.

“A symbol of hate hanging over you know their memorial is, is saddening,” said Mellie Jordan.

Louisville and Winston County officials have not yet entered into any discussions pertaining to removal of the state flag from the memorial dedication.