As Confederate monuments are taken down all across the country, Mississippi’s state flag will also be getting a long overdue makeover. The flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, is the last state flag in the country with Confederate symbology, and its days are numbered. On Sunday, the Mississippi state House and Senate just voted to remove the current flag and design a new one that does not include the Confederate symbol.
The flag must be removed within 15 days of the vote and a commission has been created to design a new flag that will not feature the Confederate emblem. The new flag must include the words “In God We Trust.”
The flag was initially designed in 1894 by white supremacists in the Mississippi legislature. In 2000, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that the flag lacked official status, but voters chose to keep the design during a 2001 flag election.
A new design will be put on the ballot on November 3. If the majority of voters approve the design, it will become the state flag. If the majority reject the design, a new commission will be created to think of a new design.