Flag of Mississippi

Statute

Design of the flag

The 2024 Mississippi Code, Title 3, § 3-3-16, simplified, describes the state flag as follows:

Dimensions 3:5, but variable, with two vertical bars at the hoist and the fly; the red outer bars are five times wider than the inner gold bars, flanking a blue central panel. In the center of the panel is a stylized white magnolia blossom with a stamen in gold, surrounded by a circle of twenty white five-pointed stars (ten on the hoist side and ten on the fly side). The circle is completed at the top by a gold five-point segmented star and at the bottom by the motto 'IN GOD WE TRUST' in capital letters and Americana font.{{cite web |title=Mississippi Code § 3-3-16 — Design of state flag |url=https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2024/title-3/chapter-3/section-3-3-16/

Colors

The statute further defines the colors of the state flag as follows:

Symbolism

The statute concludes with an explanation of the intended symbolism of the design: the magnolia represents the state flower, hospitality, hope, and rebirth; the circle of twenty stars denotes Mississippi as the twentieth state, with the top gold star honoring Indigenous peoples and symbolizing the five inhabited continents; the blue central panel echoes the American flag and signifies vigilance, justice, and perseverance; the red bars symbolize hardiness and valor; and the gold bars and magnolia stamen represent Mississippi’s rich cultural history in the visual and performing arts.

History

Mississippi has had three official state flags in its history. The first flag, known as the "Magnolia Flag", was adopted in 1861 and remained in use until 1865. The state was then left without an official flag until the second one was adopted in 1894. In 2020, state legislators proposed new flag designs, leading to the adoption of the current flag the following year.

First flag (1861–1865)

|File:Flag of Mississippi (1861-1865).svg|State flag (1861–1865) |File:Flag of Mississippi Variant (1861).svg|Unofficial flag variant

Before 1861, Mississippi lacked a flag. When the State Convention at the Capitol in Jackson declared its secession from the United States ("the Union") on January 9, 1861, near the start of the American Civil War, spectators in the balcony handed a Bonnie Blue flag down to the state convention delegates on the convention floor, and one was raised over the state capitol building in Jackson as a sign of independence. Later that night, residents of Jackson paraded through the streets under the banner. Harry McCarthy, an Irish singer and playwright who observed the street parade, was inspired to write the patriotic song "The Bonnie Blue Flag."

The first flag was known as the "Magnolia flag." It was the official state flag from March 30, 1861, until August 22, 1865. On January 26, 1861, the delegates to the state convention approved the report of a special committee that had been appointed to design a coat of arms and "a suitable flag." The flag recommended by the committee was a "Flag of white ground, a magnolia tree in the , a blue field in the upper left hand corner with a white star in the , the Flag to be finished with a red border and a red fringe at the extremity of the Flag." Due to time constraints and the pressure to raise "means for the defense of the state," the delegates neglected to adopt the flag officially in January but did so when they reassembled in March 1861. The Magnolia Flag was not widely used during the war, as the various Confederate flags were displayed more frequently. Following the war's end, a state constitutional convention nullified many of the ordinances and resolutions passed by the State Convention of 1861. Among those nullified was the ordinance of March 1861 "to provide a Coat of Arms and Flag for the State of Mississippi." Thus, the Magnolia Flag was declared to be "null and void" in 1865.

After the war Governor William L. Sharkey ordered the state militia carry the Stars and Stripes and a state flag described as bearing the coat of arms and motto of the state with name and number of the regiment.

{{anchor|Second flag}} Second flag (1894–2020)

|File:Flag of the State of Mississippi (1894–1906).svg| State flag (1894–1996), before any standardization. |File:Flag of Mississippi (1996–2020).svg| State flag (1996–2020)

On February 7, 1894, the Legislature replaced the Civil War era Magnolia Flag with a new one designed by Edward N. Scudder that incorporated the Confederate battle flag in its canton. This second state flag consisted of three equal horizontal triband of blue, white, and red, with the canton of the Confederate battle flag. The thirteen stars on the state flag officially represented "the number of the original states of the Union", although they are sometimes thought to be for the states that seceded from the Union, plus Missouri and Kentucky, which had both Confederate and Union governments.

The Mississippi Code of 1972, in Title 3, Chapter 3, described the flag as follows:

In 1996, governor Daniel Fordice sent a memorandum to every manufacturer that produced a Mississippi flag, ordering for the stars in the canton to face upward, and for fimbriation to be added around the canton. The fimbriation was to be the same width as the white outline on the cross of the canton. Before 1996, the flag was often produced with unaligned stars and no fimbriation.

In 1906, Mississippi adopted a revised legal code that repealed all general laws that were not reenacted by the legislature or brought forward in the new code. The legislature inadvertently omitted mention of the 1894 flag, leaving the state with no official state flag from 1906 to 2001. In 2000, the Supreme Court of Mississippi confirmed that the state legislature had in 1906 repealed the 1894 adoption of the state flag; the flag used since then and considered official had actually only been customary or traditional.

From 1894 to 1956, and again from 2003 to 2020, this was the only state flag to incorporate the Confederate battle flag into its design, Georgia being the other from 1956 to 2003.

Current flag (2020–present)

In response to the George Floyd protests in 2020, state legislators proposed new flag designs omitting the Confederate flag.

On June 9, 2020, lawmakers gathered votes and started drafting legislation to change the state flag. This was the first substantial action to change the state flag since the 2001 referendum. The proposed legislation would adopt Laurin Stennis's design as the new flag of Mississippi. With the support of Republican Speaker of the House, Philip Gunn, lawmakers began to court Republican state house members to vote for the resolution.

Gunn ensured that he would get the resolution passed through a House committee if verbal support from 30 Republicans was secured to go along with the 45 Democratic members of the House. An update on June 10 showed that lawmakers believed that they had secured at least 20 Republicans who were in favor of voting for the resolution to change the flag, while 20 more were on the fence. The lawmakers' goal was to secure at least 40 Republicans needed to suspend rules to allow a bill to be considered in the session. On June 11, Senate Democrats filed a resolution to change the state flag.

On June 18, 2020, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, Greg Sankey, announced the SEC would consider banning championship events in Mississippi until the flag was changed. The SEC is the athletic conference for the two largest universities in Mississippi, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The announcement by the conference was followed by support of changing the flag from Chancellor Glenn Boyce of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and President Mark E. Keenum of Mississippi State University. The athletic directors of the universities, Keith Carter (Ole Miss) and John Cohen (Mississippi State), also supported changing the flag, along with various coaches from the universities.[[File:Mississippi Flag Mural in Tupelo.jpg|thumb|Mural of the state flag on Reed's department store in Tupelo.]]On June 19, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banned all post-season play from occurring in Mississippi until the flag was changed. The NCAA had previously banned predetermined events such as football bowl games and men's basketball tournament games in 2001 from occurring in the state. The new rule would have also banned merit-based championship sites, such as baseball regionals, softball regionals, women's basketball tournament games and tennis tournament games. Ole Miss hosted both baseball and softball regionals in 2019. Mississippi State hosted a baseball regional, men's tennis tournament games and women's basketball tournament games in 2019.

Also on June 19, the leaders of the eight public universities in Mississippi (Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi) issued a joint statement calling for a new state flag. On June 22, Conference USA banned all postseason play in Mississippi until the removal of the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Conference USA was home to the state's third largest university, Southern Miss, until moving to the Sun Belt Conference in 2023, and hosted its annual baseball tournament in Mississippi for eight times in nine years from 2011-19. On June 23, presidents of the fifteen community colleges in Mississippi issued a joint statement showing their support for a new flag.

The Mississippi Baptist Convention condemned the former state flag on June 23, 2020. In a statement, Baptist leaders said: "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." Walmart announced that it would cease displaying the state flag at its 85 Mississippi store locations on June 23, 2020. The retailer normally displays the applicable state flag alongside the U.S. national flag at its locations in the U.S.

2020 Legislative action

On June 24, 2020, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann announced his support for a new flag. Hosemann was joined by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, State Auditor Shad White, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. On June 27, 2020, the Mississippi Legislature passed a resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 79, that suspended rules in the legislative chambers in order to debate and vote on a bill to remove and replace the state flag. The motion passed the House on an 85–34 vote and the Senate on a 36–14 vote.

At that time, there was no consensus on the method of changing the flag, whether it be retiring the current flag or immediately adopting another. A proposal floated by several members of the Legislature was to create a new Mississippi flag. This flag, with a yet-to-be-determined design that did not include any Confederate images, would be used alongside the current flag. This plan was soundly rejected by Governor Tate Reeves who said it would not "satisfy either side of this debate" and compared it to the separate but equal doctrine.

On June 28, 2020, the Legislature passed a bill, House Bill 1796, that would relinquish the state flag, remove the state flag from public buildings within 15 days of the bill's effective date, and constitute a nine-member commission to design a new flag that would be put to voters in a referendum to be held in November 2020. The bill required that the Confederate battle flag not be included on the proposed design, and the motto "In God We Trust" be included, as Georgia did when it removed the Confederate emblem from its state flag in 2003. In the House, the bill was passed by 91 in favor and 23 against. In the Senate, the bill was passed with 37 in favor and 14 against.

After asserting that the decision to change the flag should be made by "the people of [Mississippi]", and not in "a backroom deal by a bunch of politicians", Governor Tate Reeves June 27 stated that if the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill that weekend addressing the flag issue, he would sign it into law. Subsequently, on June 28, 2020, the Legislature passed a bill to repeal the sections of the Mississippi State Code which made provisions for a state flag, mandate the Mississippi Department of Archives and History develop a plan for the removal of the former flag from public buildings within 15 days of the bill's effective date, and establish a commission to design a replacement that would exclude the Confederate battle flag and include the U.S. national motto "In God We Trust". Reeves then signed it into law on June 30, 2020.

2020 referendum

Main article: 2020 Mississippi flag referendum

Formation

Under the terms of House Bill 1796 (approved by the governor on June 30, 2020), a body known as the commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag would be constituted to suggest a design for a new state flag no later than September 14, 2020. The bill instructed the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to develop a plan for the removal of the 1894 flag from public buildings across the state and provide administrative support for the commission. The act stipulated that any design proposed by the commission must include the words "In God We Trust" and must not contain the Confederate battle flag. The proposed design would then be subject to a referendum to be held concurrently with the general election on November 3, 2020.

Submission phase

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History invited the public to submit designs for a new state flag on July 13. In accordance with the rules imposed by House Bill 1796, designs would only be accepted if they contained the words "In God We Trust" and not include the Confederate battle flag. The commission also added that suggestions would need to be unique and adhere to principles of the North American Vexillological Association: that the design should use only two or three basic colors, be simple enough for a child to draw, and have meaningful symbolism.

More than 2000 submissions meeting the legislative criteria were received and displayed on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History website. Each of the 9 commission members picked 25 flags, narrowing the list down to 147. While a modified Hospitality flag did not proceed beyond the first round, a similar-looking "Mosquito flag" briefly did, apparently due to a commissioner's typographical error. At an August 14 meeting, the commission announced that they had selected nine finalists. These finalists, depicting various elements including a representation of the Mississippi River, magnolias, and stars composed of diamonds significant to the Choctaw nation, had either red, white, and blue or green and white color schemes. The commission announced that they would narrow these designs down to five finalists at its next meeting on August 18.

Selection of finalists

Five finalists were published on August 18, and this was reduced to two flags on August 25.

The final two flags were the "Great River Flag" designed by Micah Whitson and "The New Magnolia" designed by Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles and Dominique Pugh.

Final design

On September 2, the commission voted 8–1 to put the New Magnolia flag on the November ballot. Slight modifications were made to the original design, including making the text bolder and the red and gold bars thicker. The flag is officially referred to as the "In God We Trust Flag". Rocky Vaughan is credited with designing the flag's overall layout, with design support provided by Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles and Dominique Pugh (who created the magnolia illustration featured in the center). Micah Whitson was also given credit for the appearance of the Native American star. The flag was approved by 73% of the votes cast in a referendum on November 3, 2020. The flag was passed by the Mississippi State House of Representatives on January 5, 2021, and was passed by the State Senate on January 6, 2021. It officially became the state flag after being signed by the state's Governor on January 11, 2021.

Flag change proposals

2001 referendum

Main article: 2001 Mississippi flag referendum

In January 2001, Governor Ronnie Musgrove appointed an independent commission which developed a new proposed flag design. On April 17, 2001, a legally binding state referendum to change the flag was put before Mississippi voters by the legislature on recommendation of this commission.

The referendum, which asked voters if the new design prepared by the independent commission should be adopted, was defeated in a vote of 64% (488,630 votes) to 36% (267,812), and the 1894 state flag was retained. The proposed flag would have replaced the Confederate rebel battle flag with a blue square canton with 20 white stars in a circular row. The outer ring of 13 stars would represent the original Thirteen Colonies, the middle ring of six stars would represent the six nations that have had sovereignty over Mississippi Territory (various Native American nations as a collective nation, French Empire, Spanish Empire, British Empire, the Confederate States, and the United States) as well as the six states that precede Mississippi's admission (Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, and Indiana), and the inner and slightly larger star would represent Mississippi itself. The 20 stars would also represent Mississippi's status as the 20th U.S. state and member of the United States of America.

When Georgia adopted a new state flag in 2003, the Mississippi flag remained the only U.S. state flag to include the Confederate battle flag's saltire. A 2001 survey conducted by the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) placed Mississippi's flag 22nd in design quality of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state, and U.S. territorial flags ranked.

2015 replacement efforts

In the wake of the 2015 Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting, in which nine black parishioners of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church were killed by Confederacy admirer and white supremacist Dylann Roof, there were renewed calls for Southern states to cease using the Confederate battle flag in official capacities. This extended to increased criticism of Mississippi's state flag. All eight public universities in Mississippi, along with "several cities and counties", including Biloxi, later refused to fly the state flag until the emblem was removed. The flag was excluded from state-flag displays in New Jersey, Oregon, and Philadelphia that included the flags of the other 49 states.

On September 10, 2015, Steve Earle released the single "Mississippi It's Time" with all proceeds going towards the civil rights organization, Southern Poverty Law Center. The song was produced by Earle and recorded with his longtime backup band, the Dukes, in the summer of 2015 in the aftermath of the massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June 2015. The song advocates for removal of the Confederate flag from state grounds and tackles historical themes of slavery, racism, patriotism, and progress since the Civil War.

Over 20 flag-related bills, some calling for another statewide referendum, were introduced in the legislature in 2015 and 2016, but none made it out of committee. A 2016 federal lawsuit alleging that the flag is tantamount to "state-sanctioned hate speech" was dismissed by both a district court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Hospitality flag

An alternative was devised in 2014 by artist Laurin Stennis, granddaughter of former U.S. senator John C. Stennis. Her proposal was originally dubbed the "Declare Mississippi flag" but was popularly called the "Stennis flag" and later renamed the "Hospitality flag". In June 2020, Stennis stepped back from the effort to change the 1894 flag, citing potential harm associated with her last name, which she shares with her grandfather who was a segregationist for much of his career. In August 2020, the copyrighted design was withdrawn from being an option for a new flag because it did not include the legislature-mandated "In God We Trust" slogan.

The flag consists of a single blue star on a white field, an inversion of the white star on a blue field of the Bonnie Blue flag. It is encircled by 19 smaller stars representing each state in the Union when Mississippi joined, as well as symbolizing "unity and continuity" drawing inspiration from the artifacts of the indigenous peoples of the region. The central white field represents "faith and possibility", and is flanked on each side by vertical red bars, representing "the blood spilled by Mississippians, whether civilian or military, who have honorably given their lives in pursuit of liberty and justice for all". In an interview, Stennis said the red bars also stand for "Mississippians' 'passionate differences' on the flag issue".

Since its inception, numerous bills were brought before the legislature to have the Stennis flag declared the new state flag, but none of them passed. On April 17, 2019, Mississippi governor Phil Bryant signed a new specialty license plates bill. One of the new specialty plates included the Stennis flag along with the phrase "History + Hope + Hospitality". This was the first time that the Stennis flag's design received some form of state sanction by being used in an official capacity.

Bicentennial flag

A flag was created by the Mississippi Economic Council to celebrate the state's bicentennial in 2017. This flag consisted of a blue, white and red tricolor with the state seal centered on the white stripe. The flag also had the words "Established 1817" and "Bicentennial 2017" written on the white stripe on either side of the seal. This flag, without the wording, has been used as an alternative state flag and has been suggested as a possible replacement for it.

In late June 2020, former Governor Phil Bryant suggested using the bicentennial flag as a future state flag. Following the retirement of the previous state flag on June 30, 2020, this banner was used in some instances as a de facto placeholder. African American Mississippians from 2017 to 2020 frequently used the bicentennial flag along with the 2001 proposed flag.

After the 2020 referendum

Let Mississippi Vote is a group seeking to hold a new referendum offering voters a choice among four flag designs: the Magnolia flag (adopted in 2020), the previous state flag, the Stennis flag, and the Bicentennial flag. The goal is to allow Mississippians multiple options rather than voting on a single flag design. The group reached 5,000 volunteers and submitted proposed referendum wording to the Mississippi Attorney General for approval. To place the initiative on the ballot (no earlier than 2023), 106,190 valid signatures from Mississippi residents are required (signature requirements were set by a 1992 constitutional amendment, requiring 12% of votes cast for governor in the previous election, with no more than 20% from a single congressional district).{{cite web |title=In the Supreme Court of Mississippi - No. 2020-IA-01199-SCT - In Re Initiative Measure No. 65: Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler, in Her Individual and Official Capacities and the City of Madison v. Michael Watson, in His Official Capacity as Secretary of State for the State of Mississippi |url=https://courts.ms.gov/Images/Opinions/CO154253.pdf

Other flags

Notes

References

References

1. (3 September 2020). "State Flag Commission Picks New Magnolia Flag for November Ballot".
2. Shammas, Brittany. (2020-06-28). "Mississippi House and Senate vote to remove Confederate icon from state flag". Washington Post.
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4. "Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag Top Two Finalists".
5. "HB1796 (As Sent to Governor) – 2020 Regular Session". State Legislature of Mississippi.
6. Pender, Geoff. (2 September 2020). "'In God We Trust' flag will go before Mississippi voters in November". Mississippi Today.
7. (2020-11-04). "Explained: Why the US state of Mississippi got a new flag".
8. . (1861). ["Journal of the State Convention, and Ordinances and Resolutions Adopted in January, 1861"](https://archive.org/details/journalofstateco00miss). *[[Ethelbert Barksdale*.
9. Clay, Moss. (June 21, 2015). "Mississippi's Magnolia Flags (U.S.)". Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
10. (1 July 2020). "Mississippi governor signs bill changing state's flag, abandoning Confederate symbol". [[The Washington Post]].
11. Ganucheau, Adam. (June 9, 2020). "Bipartisan group of lawmakers, with Speaker Gunn's blessing, pushes to change Mississippi state flag". [[Mississippi Today]].
12. Sansing, David G.. (August 2000). "Flags Over Mississippi". [[Mississippi Historical Society]].
13. Winik, Jau. (February 11, 2001). "A New Flag for a New Mississippi". The New York Times.
14. [http://www.washingtonartillery.com/Def.htm "The Lone Star/Bonnie Blue Flag"], ''Washington Artillery''
15. . (1861). ["Journal of the State Convention and Ordinances and Resolutions Adopted in March, 1861"](https://archive.org/details/journalofstatecomiss). *[[Ethelbert Barksdale*.
16. "Mississippi State Flag - About the Mississippi Flag, its adoption and history".
17. . (1865). ["Journal of the Proceedings and Debates in the Constitutional Convention of the State of Mississippi, August 1865"](https://archive.org/details/journalofprocee00miss). *[[Edward M. Yerger*.
18. [https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026965/1865-10-19/ed-1/?sp=1&q=state+flag&r=0.15,0.968,0.225,0.095,0 The Anderson intelligencer, October 19, 1865, p1]
19. "State Flags". State of Mississippi.
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21. (February 6, 2014). "The Mississippi State Flag". NetState.
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23. (1906). "The Mississippi code of 1906 of the public statute laws of the state of Mississippi, prepared and annotated by A. H. Whitfield, T. C. Catchings and W. H. Hardy: Under the provisions of an act of the Legislature approved March 19, 1904, and reported to and revised". Brandon printing company.
24. "Mississippi Votes to Keep Controversial Flag".
25. ''Mississippi Division of the United [[Sons of Confederate Veterans]] v. Mississippi State Conference of [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. NAACP]] Branches'', 774 So.2d 388 (Miss. 2000)
26. Dedman IV, James M.. (Fall 2001). "At Daggers Drawn: The Confederate Flag and the School Classroom – A Case Study of a Broken First Amendment Formula". Baylor Law Review.
27. (June 10, 2020). "About 40 Republican House votes are needed to change the state flag. Lawmakers say they're halfway there.". [[Mississippi Today]].
28. (June 11, 2020). "Senate Democrats file resolution to change state flag after earlier action by House members". [[Mississippi Today]].
29. Ganucheau, Adam. (June 18, 2020). "SEC commissioner to lawmakers: Lose Confederate emblem from state flag, or lose championship events.". [[Mississippi Today]].
30. Ole Miss Athletics. (June 18, 2020). "A message from Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter.".
31. Keenum, Mark. (June 18, 2020). "Statement from MSU President Mark E. Keenum". [[Mississippi State University]].
32. Cohen. (June 18, 2020). "We are disappointed that our student-athletes and coaches will potentially be affected by something outside their control. At the same time, we understand and support Commissioner Greg Sankey's stance on the flag of the State of Mississippi. Mississippi State University is proud to be among the most diverse universities in the SEC. Alongside our university leadership, we aim to continue our support for changing the state flag, which should unite us, not divide us.".
33. Lemonis, Chris. (June 18, 2020). "#Hailstate Image".
34. McPhee-McCuin, Yolett. (June 18, 2020). "I am in total agreement with our leaders and I hope we can continue to move in a direction that is inclusive for all! I am glad that we do not fly that flag on our campus and I thank both Keith and Chancellor Boyce for taking a stand on this!❤️💙".
35. David, Kermit. (June 18, 2020). "This flag has not been flown on our campus in years! Proud of our Administration for taking a stand!! It's what's right and best for state to grow in all areas!".
36. Bromberg, Nick. (June 19, 2020). "Mississippi schools can't host any NCAA championship events after NCAA broadens Confederate flag policy". [[Yahoo Sports]].
37. (June 19, 2020). "Miss. public university presidents respond to NCAA decision regarding state flag". [[WLOX]].
38. Suss, Nick. (June 22, 2020). "Conference USA joins NCAA, SEC in banning postseason events in Mississippi until flag is changed". [[The Clarion Ledger]].
39. (June 23, 2020). "Mississippi Association of Community Colleges supports changing state flag". [[WTOK-TV]].
40. Pender, Geoff. (June 23, 2020). "'It's a moral issue:' Mississippi Baptist Convention calls for new state flag". [[Mississippi Today]].
41. Gibson, Kate. (June 23, 2020). "Walmart rids Mississippi stores of state flag bearing Confederate emblem". CBS News.
42. Duffy, Clare. (June 23, 2020). "Walmart stops displaying the Mississippi state flag in stores because of Confederate flag imagery". CNN.
43. (June 24, 2020). "Breaking: Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann seems to open the door to legislative action on the Mississippi state flag without a popular vote. Big development.".
44. (June 24, 2020). "As leaders continue to count votes to change state flag, Hosemann throws support behind legislative action". [[Mississippi Today]].
45. Shammas, Brittany. (June 27, 2020). "Mississippi lawmakers pave way for legislation to remove Confederate symbol from state flag". Washington Post.
46. (June 27, 2020). "Miss. House approves to suspend rules; would allow vote to change state flag if passed". KNOE.com.
47. "HC 79 (As Adopted by House and Senate) – 2020 Regular Session". State Legislature of Mississippi.
48. (June 27, 2020). "Mississippi legislature starts process to change state's flag". [[CNN]].com.
49. (June 26, 2020). "Lawmakers plan to begin voting Saturday to change Mississippi state flag". [[Mississippi Today]].
50. Wagster Pettus, Emily. (June 23, 2020). "Mississippi gov rejects 'separate but equal' 2-flag plan". Associated Press.
51. Shammas, Brittany. (2020-06-28). "Mississippi House and Senate vote to remove Confederate icon from state flag". Washington Post.
52. "HB1796 (As Sent to Governor) – 2020 Regular Session". State Legislature of Mississippi.
53. Ramseth, Giacomo Bologna and Luke. "Changing the state flag: How Mississippi legislators made history in 4 hours on a rare Sunday session". The Clarion-Ledger.
54. (June 28, 2020). "MS Senate Floor".
55. Williams, Angela. (8 June 2020). "Governor: Mississippi flag should be changed by the people, not group of politicians". WAPT News.
56. (June 27, 2020). "Mississippi House starts process to change state's flag".
57. . (June 27, 2020). ["Mississippi takes a step toward removing Confederate image from flag"](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-06-27/mississippi-takes-a-step-toward-removing-confederate-image-from-flag).
58. Tate Reeves. "The legislature has been deadlocked for days as it considers a new state flag. The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it's time to end it. If they send me a bill this weekend, I will sign it.".
59. LeBlanc, Paul. (June 28, 2020). "Mississippi state legislature passes bill to remove Confederate symbol from state flag in historic vote".
60. (28 June 2020). "Look away, Dixie: Mississippi to lose rebel emblem from flag". ABC News.
61. Budryk, Zack. (June 28, 2020). "Mississippi House passes bill to take Confederate symbol off state flag".
62. (2020). "HB1796".
63. "BREAKING: Governor to retire Mississippi's Confederate-themed flag".
64. (2020-06-30). "Governor to retire Mississippi's Confederate-themed flag".
65. "2020 Regular Session, House Bill 1796".
66. "State Commission Seeks Flag Design Submissions". Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
67. Pender, Geoff. (2 September 2020). "'In God We Trust' flag will go before Mississippi voters in November". Mississippi Today.
68. (March 19, 2024). "View Submissions for the New Mississippi State Flag". Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
69. Carlisle, Zac. (2020-08-10). "Commission narrows down 147 designs for Mississippi's new state flag".
70. Carter, Josh. (2020-08-10). "Hospitality Flag no longer in the running to become Mississippi's next flag... but the Mosquito Flag is".
71. Carter, Josh. (2020-08-11). "Flag Commission: Mosquito Flag chosen by mistake, now removed from consideration".
72. Carlisle, Zac. (August 14, 2020). "Magnolias, Mississippi River among elements discussed by flag commission".
73. Pettus, Emily Wagster. (August 14, 2020). "Mississippi flag could have Choctaw-inspired diamond shape".
74. (August 18, 2020). "One of these five designs could become the new Mississippi state flag".
75. Farish, Anna. (2020-08-25). "Mississippi flag commission selects final two flag designs".
76. Carlisle, Zac. (August 25, 2020). "Two finalists announced for Mississippi state flag".
77. Corder, Frank. (August 13, 2020). ["Could the Great River Flag be the odds on favorite for new Mississippi flag?"](https://yallpolitics.com/2020/08/13/could-the-great-river-flag-be-the-odds-on-favorite-for-new-mississippi-flag/}}{{Dead link). Mississippi Politics and News - Y'all Politics.
78. "Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag Top Two Finalists". Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
79. Ulmer, Sarah. (2020-09-02). "Commission selects New Magnolia Flag for voters to consider in November".
80. (September 2, 2020). "Mississippi Has Chosen Its New Flag Design. Does It Match Your Pick?".
81. "Mississippi flag: Magnolia could replace old rebel symbol".
82. "Mississippi votes in favor of adopting new flag".
83. "Mississippi › Initiative & Referendum Institute". IAndRInstitute.org.
84. "Mississippi Flag Referendum (April 2001)". Ballotpedia.
85. (April 27, 2001). "Election Results". Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State.
86. "Radiolab: The Flag and the Fury".
87. "2002 State/Provincial Flag Survey". North American Vexillological Association.
88. Grinberg, Emanuella. (June 19, 2016). "Battle over Confederate symbols continues with Mississippi state flag". CNN.
89. Pettus, Emily Wagster. (April 27, 2017). "Biloxi won't fly state flag". Clarion-Ledger.
90. Gillon, Vanessa. (August 29, 2016). "State flag quietly removed from campus". The Reflector.
91. Victor, Daniel. (October 26, 2015). "University of Mississippi Lowers State Flag With Confederate Symbol". [[The New York Times]].
92. Barron, James. (April 29, 2019). "New Jersey Governor Refuses to Fly 'Reprehensible' Mississippi Flag". [[The New York Times]].
93. Leahey, Andrew. (September 10, 2015). "Hear Steve Earle Denounce Confederate Flag in 'Mississippi, It's Time'".
94. Pettus, Emily Wagster. (March 16, 2017). "Mississippi Confederate Flag Fight Moves to New Battlefield".
95. Domonoske, Camila. (April 3, 2017). "Court Rejects Lawsuit Against Mississippi State Flag's Confederate Symbolism".
96. "Search – Supreme Court of the United States". SupremeCourt.gov.
97. (January 22, 2018). "What is the Stennis flag? Why a famous MS senator's granddaughter made her own". Sun Herald.
98. "Stennis Flag". DeclareMississippi.com.
99. Watkins, Billy. (February 20, 2016). "Watkins: Stennis granddaughter offers new flag option". [[The Clarion Ledger]].
100. "Stennis Flag News". DeclareMississippi.com.
101. Rogers, Joe. (January 15, 2018). "This should be Mississippi's state flag. And with enough support, it could be.". Magnolia State Live.
102. Lee, China. (April 17, 2019). "Mississippi residents can display state flag minus Confederate battle emblem with new specialty license plate". [[WMC-TV]].
103. (April 26, 2019). "Mississippi drivers can put flag minus rebel X on license". [[Washington Post]]}}{{dead link.
104. Bowden, John. (April 26, 2019). "Mississippi governor signs bill permitting license plates with alternative flag without Confederate symbol". The Hill.
105. "Mississippi Bicentennial flag (U.S.)". CRWFlags.com.
106. (November 5, 2016). "Mississippi's bicentennial banner gaining attention". wlbt.com.
107. "Historical Flags of Our Ancestors – State of Mississippi – USA". Loeser.us.
108. (October 26, 2016). "MEC unfurls bicentennial banner. Could a new state flag be next?". Mississippi Today.
109. Phil Bryant. (25 June 2020). "I was proud as Governor to add 'In God We Trust' to the State Seal with @tatereeves and @PhilipGunnMS. It will make a great Mississippi State Flag.".
110. (June 30, 2020). "Mississippi flag bearing Confederate emblem is removed from Senate building". Roll Call.
111. (July 1, 2020). "Retired Mississippi flag removed on Capitol Hill". [[MSNBC]].
112. Haley Talbot. (June 30, 2020). "Senator Wicker oversaw the removal of the Mississippi state flag from the Capitol subway moments ago. It was replaced by a flag with the state seal on it.".
113. (September 2, 2020). "'Let Mississippi Vote' campaign for state flag ballot referendum". WXXV.
114. Vance, Taylor. (October 11, 2020). "'Mississippi's image is on the ballot' with state flag design referendum".
115. (May 14, 2021). "Medical marijuana no longer coming to Mississippi: What you need to know". Mississippi Clarion Ledger.
116. "Hand-Pained Banner with the Seal of the State of Mississippi, circa 1872".