Another Mississippi university has stopped flying the state flag that prominently features the Confederate battle emblem.
School officials said requests were made recently to replace the state flag with a larger American flag. Salter said the state flags have been replaced with larger USA flags, to mirror the large American flag that has flown alone in MSU’s central quad for at least 15 years.
Salter didn’t immediately say how many flags were removed or when.
“Since 2001, Mississippi State University’s Faculty Senate, MSU’s Student Association governing bodies and MSU’s administration have supported changing Mississippi’s state flag”, the spokesperson stated. The debate materialized in MS through its state flag, which has existed in its current form since 1894, featuring the Confederate battle emblem in the left corner. “As he has said before, he believes voters should decide at the ballot box what the state flag is or is not”.
He said Tuesday he disagrees with decisions by Mississippi State University and the Mississippi University for Women over the summer to stop publicly flying the flag.
MS flag opponents welcomed its removal.
The Mississippi state flag, which features the Confederate flag, hangs as protestors gathered for a sit in, demanding its removal during a protest at the 2016 Democratic National Convention on July 25, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Dr. Keenum has said repeatedly that the issue related to whether MS should change its state flag is not going to be resolved on our campus”, Salter said. For these reasons, Delta State University supports making a change to a symbol, such as Mississippi’s state flag, that promotes divisiveness and serves as a barrier to understanding.
In a previous statement addressing USM’s removal of the state flag at its Hattiesburg campus, Bryant indicated publicly funded institutions should respect MS law, since it grants the state flag “all the respect and ceremonious etiquette given the American flag”.
According to Section 37-13-13 of MS law, the flag “shall be displayed in close proximity to the school building at all times during the hours of daylight when the school is in session when the weather will permit without damage to the flag”.
“Delta State continues to fly the State flag out of respect to our relationship with the State of MS, and despite our disagreement with symbols that cause an unfortunate barrier to understanding”, Farish said.
“The state flag of MS is just that – it is the state flag of our state”, Keenum said at the time. Some area governments and K-12 schools also no longer fly Mississippi’s state flag. The flag has been controversial for years as the last state banner to include the Confederate battle flag in its design.
At one point during that protest, a small group of students gathered in support of the state flag, shouting, “We want the flag!”
The annual barbeque is held during MSU’s Dawg Days, which welcomes students back to campus for a new school year.
Another public university in MS has stopped flying the state flag that prominently features the Confederate battle emblem.
During the last few years, discussions about the State flag have occurred variously on the Delta State campus among faculty, staff, students, and organizations. Enrollment is up this fall and we remain committed to our mission of creating opportunities for all Mississippians.
