Mississippi removes Confederate symbol from state flag

State lawmakers from both sides of the aisle hugged one another and spectators cheered on Sunday after the House and Senate voted to replace the last U.S. state flag that displayed the Confederate battle emblem. The design adopted by white supremacist legislators more than a century ago came under criticism amid the recent protests against racial injustice. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, said the flag will lose its official status once he signs the bill into law this week.

What is the next step? A nine-member commission will design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and must integrate the phrase “In God We Trust.” Those who continue to support the emblem have called it a heritage, while activists and religious groups including the Mississippi Baptist Convention said it is a moral imperative to replace the flag. Voters will decide on the new design in November.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s column on the Black Lives Matter organization.