Lawmakers Want Special Session To Deal With Flag

JACKSON (WCBI) – Mississippi’s Legislative Black Caucus has issued its formal request for a special session to change the Mississippi State flag.  The request comes in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia following a white nationalist rally.   Below is the text of the release from the LBC.

“The deaths and acts of terror in Charlottesville are the latest evidence of a rising tide of white nationalism and hatred in America. The images out of Virginia were clear reminders that Confederate symbols have no place in Mississippi’s state flag.

The members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus request that Governor Phil Bryant immediately call an extraordinary session of the Mississippi legislature for the sole purpose of changing the state’s flag.

When there is a pending economic development deal that requires legislation, the Governor declares a special session and calls representatives and senators back to Jackson to pass the required legislation. Simply, there is no legislation that would do more to improve the image and economy of Mississippi than changing the flag.

The recent events in Charlottesville are further proof that the Mississippi state flag resonates with bigots and racists. Hate groups love the flag with its confederate emblem. In 2017, our governor can send a clear message that our state rejects white nationalism and hatred. We call on Speaker Phillip Gunn and Lt. Governor Tate Reeves to join us in requesting a call for a special session from the Governor.

Rep. Sonya Williams Barnes, chair of the MLBC, makes this statement. “My deep and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives and to those who were injured in Charlottesville. Grisly scenes shown all over the world depict the hearts of too many people in our country. In these images, you will recurrently see that square of hatred that inhabits the top left corner of the state flag of Mississippi. The expressions of hate and the confederate flag have been one and the same from its genesis, throughout history and still today. I’m requesting that Governor Bryant call a special session to legislatively change the flag of this state to one that is more representative of all citizens of Mississippi. We cannot wait until domestic terrorism strikes in our home. We must be proactive and serve.”

Here is the letter delivered to Governor Phil Bryant