Mississippi State Flag (1894–2020)

Mississippi State Flag (1894–2020)
Name	Mississippi state flag (1894–2020)
Use	Former state flag
Proportion	2:3
Adoption	1894
Relinquished	2020
Design	A red field with a blue canton containing a white-bordered red saltire charged with thirteen white five-pointed stars and the state seal in the fly

Mississippi State Flag (1894–2020) was the official banner of Mississippi from 1894 until 2020, notable for incorporating the Confederate Battle Flag motif, which linked it to the American Civil War, Confederate States of America, and postbellum politics. Its use intersected with figures such as Jefferson Davis, events like the Civil Rights Movement, and institutions including the Mississippi Legislature and the United States Congress, generating controversy across state and national arenas.

History

The flag's origins trace to the late 19th century when lawmakers in Jackson, Mississippi debated replacement of earlier banners amid Reconstruction-era controversies tied to the Compromise of 1877 and the rise of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. Prominent state actors such as members of the Mississippi Legislature and governors of the era oversaw adoption in 1894 after proposals circulated among civic organizations like the Sons of Veterans and veteran groups descended from participants in the Battle of Shiloh and other engagements of the American Civil War. The 1894 design survived through the administrations of governors including Ross Barnett, William F. Winter, and Haley Barbour, even as landmark federal statutes and rulings—such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States—reshaped state policy and norm conflicts.

Design and symbolism

The flag combined a predominant red field with a blue canton bearing a red saltire edged in white, charged with thirteen white stars echoing motifs found in the battle flag used by the Army of Northern Virginia and units commanded by generals like Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard. The thirteen stars invoked ties to symbols used across the Confederate States and earlier American flags such as the Bennington flag and the Stars and Stripes, while the fly featured the Seal of Mississippi adopted in 1817 referencing the state’s economy and founders including David Holmes. The inclusion of the Confederate saltire made the banner a visual referent to memorialization practices that also involved organizations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy and monuments commemorated at sites such as the Mississippi State Capitol and county courthouses.

Legal and political controversies

Legal challenges and policy debates involved constitutional questions adjudicated by state courts and referenced in federal contexts including the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and litigation parallels such as Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. Political actors from Thad Cochran to state legislators engaged in disputes over display on public property, linking the flag to controversies seen in incidents like the 1962 Ole Miss riot at University of Mississippi and the 2015 responses to the Charleston church shooting. Advocacy groups including the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and local chapters of the League of Women Voters argued against the flag’s symbolism, while heritage organizations including the Jefferson Davis Memorial Association defended it, prompting legislative proposals and gubernatorial statements invoking state statutes and resolutions debated within the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate.

Adoption and legislative actions

The 1894 adoption followed legislative action in the Mississippi Legislature, where lawmakers considered alternative prototypes that referenced earlier state emblems used under governors such as Anselm J. McLaurin. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, bills to alter the flag were introduced repeatedly by legislators associated with parties including the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, with notable proposals from figures such as John C. Stennis and later sponsors like state representatives and senators. Executive actions by governors, ceremonial resolutions by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and ballot initiatives in other states like Alabama and Georgia provided comparative legislative context for debates over changing the banner. Attempts to amend the design culminated in legislative votes, committee hearings, and public commission work in the lead-up to removal.

Public opinion and protests

Public sentiment evolved amid demonstrations, petitions, and campaigns led by civil rights activists including local organizers aligned with national movements such as Black Lives Matter and longstanding groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and community clergy connected to churches like Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Protests occurred at sites including the Mississippi State Capitol, Jackson municipal spaces, college campuses such as University of Mississippi, and civic gatherings referencing incidents like the 2015 Charleston church shooting and the 2017 rallies in Charlottesville. Polling by organizations and media outlets tracked shifting opinions among constituencies represented by county governments, civic associations, and veterans groups, while museums like the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum contextualized public education campaigns.

Removal and replacement process

Following the 2015–2020 period of intensified debate after events such as the Sutherland Springs church shooting and the murder of George Floyd, pressure mounted in the Mississippi Legislature and among corporate actors including businesses headquartered in Mississippi and national corporations responding to reputational concerns. In 2020, legislative action, executive directives, and a citizen commission process led to the flag’s removal from official use and placement into historical custody by the Mississippi Secretary of State and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, with a statewide referendum subsequently organized to select a new design created by a commission that included designers and officials experienced in processes like those used in other states including state flag referendums. The replacement adopted following the referendum marked the formal end of the 1894 design’s official status and repositioned the banner into museum and archival collections alongside artifacts related to the Civil Rights Movement, American South history, and commemorative practices.

Category:Flags of Mississippi