The Next Battle: New Jersey Removes Mississippi State Flag From Park Due to Confederate Emblem

We’re still grappling with whether or not we should remove confederate monuments, but New Jersey is taking the battle over an ugly part of American history to the next level.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) ordered the Mississippi flag to be removed at Liberty State Park and replaced with the American flag, citing the Magnolia State flag’s confederate emblem.

“New Jersey’s strength is rooted in our diverse communities,” Murphy said in a press release regarding the order. “The Confederate symbol displayed on the Mississippi state flag is reprehensible and does not reflect our values of inclusivity and equality. I applaud Senator Cunningham for bringing this issue in her district to my attention.” . . .

Buzzfeed also reported that the Mississippi flag is the only one in the country that still contains the Confederate battle emblem, as Georgia replaced its flag in 2004 to remove the emblem. Mississippi voted in 2001 — long before the outrage over centuries-old statutes — to keep its flag the way it was.

This is not to say that everyone in Mississippi currently feels that way or still feels that way. Legislators in the state have tried and are trying to change the flag. State Sen. Kenneth Wayne Jones, a Democrat, told Buzzfeed that “the time is now to change our flag.” (Read more from “The Next Battle: New Jersey Removes Mississippi State Flag From Park Due to Confederate Emblem” HERE)

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