Mayor cries after order to remove Confederate-themed Mississippi flag from city buildings
Mayor Johnny Magee was overcome with emotion Tuesday, shedding tears as he signed an executive order to lower the Mississippi state flag at all public buildings and facilities owned by the city of Laurel, effective immediately.
A copy of the order was shared on the city’s Facebook page.
“I don’t apologize for being emotional,” Magee said, according to local station WLOX. “I have lived through some things with this flag and as they told Dr. King to wait. Time for waiting is over.”
The flag, which remains the only in the nation bearing the Confederate battle emblem, is a hurtful reminder of the past, the mayor said.
“It’s also been used by some as an image of hatred, divisiveness and violence, none of which in any way represents the ideals and principles of our great nation, our proud state, or our vibrant city,” Magee added, according to the news station.
The emblem and other Confederate symbols face renewed scrutiny amid protests demanding change after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed in police custody after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for about eight minutes while three other officers failed to intervene. Those officers are now fired and charged in the incident.
Under the mayor’s order, all the old flags will be donated to the county library for posterity, the Laurel Leader-Call reported. Officials worked to remove a flag flying outside City Hall on Tuesday immediately following Magee’s announcement.
“There comes a point in time in the annals of history when it becomes necessary to redefine who a people are, and what a collection of these people represent,” he said, according to the newspaper. “It is the opinion of the mayor of this city that now is such a time.”
Calls for Mississippi to adopt a new state flag have gained strong support in recent months. On Tuesday, retail giant Walmart said it would no longer display the banner in its stores.
“We believe it’s the right thing to do, and is consistent with Walmart’s position to not sell merchandise with the Confederate flag from stores and online sites, as part of our commitment to provide a welcoming [and] inclusive experience for all of our customers in the communities we serve,” spokesperson Anne Hatfield said in a statement to McClatchy News.
Mississippi’s Baptist Convention, the largest Christian denomination in the state, has also criticized the flag and pointed to the “racial overtones” associated with the Confederate emblem, McClatchy News reported.
Magee has since called on state leaders to change the flag.
“The State of Mississippi Legislature ... hereby is petitioned to respectfully retire the ‘State Flag’ previously adopted by the state in 1894 and adopt a new flag that represents and signifies the values and principles upon which our State is now based and which unifies the people who call our state home,” his executive order reads.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said if the state flag is going to be altered, the issue should be left for voters to decide.
The issue appeared on the ballot in 2001, with residents voting to keep the emblem by a tally of 64% to 35%.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Mayor cries after order to remove Confederate-themed Mississippi flag from city buildings."