Notable Mississippians join chorus to remove Confederate emblem from state flag

The actor and musician, along with author John Grisham and Kathryn Stockett, signed the letter which appeared in a full-page advert in The Clarion-Ledger on Saturday.

Titled “A Flag for All of Us”, the letter says it’s not fair or honorable to ask black residents to live with a flag “that glorifies a war fought to keep their ancestors enslaved”. A lot of the prominent figures in Mississippi mostly, House Speaker Philip Gunn, the state’s Southeastern Conference football coaches, the great-great-grandson of Confederate President Jefferson Davis are already supporting the idea and believe that its high time to withdraw the Confederate symbol from Mississippi’s flag.

A Confederate battle is brewing in Mississippi.

The debate around Confederate symbols grew fiery after photos emerged of Dylann Roof, who was accused in June of killing nine black church members in Charleston, S.C., burning an American flag and holding up the Confederate battle flag.

Other signees of the open letter include Mississippi businessman Jack Reed, Sr., former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, music legend Jimmy Buffet, former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, Grammy-winning producer Glen Ballard, Basketball Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, former Gov. William Winter, and baseball legend Boo Ferriss, the Clarion-Ledger reported.

“I’m a Mississippian”, Freeze said at the time. The rebel symbol appears in the top left corner of Mississippi’s flag, making the Magnolia State the only remaining state to fly a flag reminiscent of the Confederate battle flag. A newspaper survey of the state’s lawmakers found 64 supported changing the flag, 24 opposed it, nine were undecided and 96 wouldn’t respond.

“The tide is turning with business leadership saying it hurts our ability to recruit corporations and with coaches saying it hurts our ability to recruit athletes”, state Sen.

According to popular author Greg Iles – who also signed the letter – 2001 was a long time ago.

“Think of America in 1931 and then in 1945 – that’s 14 years, and a tectonic shift in national identity”. “Think of 1961 and 1975”.

Since the Charleston shooting, many states and public institutions have fielded renewed efforts to have symbols of the Confederacy removed. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley also called for the flag to be removed from the statehouse grounds.