Faith Hill made a plea to state legislature in her home state of Mississippi on Thursday, asking representatives to vote for a new flag in a series of tweets. Mississippi’s flag features the Confederate flag as part of its design and is the last state with the Confederate symbol on its flag. “To the Mississippi legislature: It’s time to change the state flag,” Hill began. “I am a proud MS girl and I love my home state. When I think of Mississippi, I think of my mom and dad, the church I grew up in, high school football, and where I fell in love with music.”
She continued by declaring that “it is time for the world to meet the Mississippi of today and not the Mississippi of 1894 (when the MS legislature voted on the current flag).” Hill wrote that she understands that many people see the current flag as “a symbol of heritage and Southern pride,” but encouraged them to “realize that this flag is a direct symbol of terror for our black brothers and sisters.”She concluded: “I urge the Mississippi legislature to vote tomorrow Friday, June 26 on ONE NEW FLAG, one that represents ALL of the citizens of Mississippi.”
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Earlier this month, a group of bipartisan lawmakers in Mississippi started to draft a resolution to change the state’s flag. On Tuesday, the Mississippi Baptist Convention called for lawmakers to change the flag. “It has become apparent that the discussion about changing the flag of Mississippi is not merely a political issue,” Baptist leaders said in a statement via Mississippi Today. “The racial overtones of the flag’s appearance make this discussion a moral issue. Since the principal teachings of Scripture are opposed to racism, a stand against such is a matter of biblical morality.”
Along with its moral implications, the flag also impacts college teams in the state since the NCAA has banned states with prominent Confederate symbols from hosting its sponsored events. University of Mississippi football coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN that the flag does not “represent who we are at Ole Miss,” and Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said that “the purpose of a state flag is to create pride and enthusiasm amongst the citizens.” “It should also create great energy to elevate the economy, education and athletics,” Leach added. “The current flag doesn’t do that. We need a state flag that everyone is proud of.”
