We Must Be The Change - Magazine - Page 17
Mississippi Power advocates
for change to state flag
Mississippi voters select new flag after
campaign to remove Confederate imagery
Mississippi Power President and
CEO Anthony Wilson joined more
than 100 state business and industry
leaders in putting their signatures
on a full-page ad published last year
in newspapers across Mississippi,
lending their support to legislators
to change the state flag.
Mississippi was the only state that still
contained the imagery of the racially
divisive Confederate battle flag in
its design. The Mississippi Economic
Council, with Wilson as chair, led this
historical initiative to move Mississippi
forward and change the flag. Economic
developers from around the state
recognized a new state flag would
inspire growth and economic prosperity
and more jobs for Mississippi.
The campaign, titled “It’s Time,”
also included social media presence
supported by economic development
organizations and chambers of
commerce.
in 1894. A state commission selected
final decisions for a new flag from
more than 3,000 submissions to the
Mississippi Department of Archives
and History for consideration.
“Our state flag should bring us together
and not divide us,” Wilson said at
the time. “The current state flag, in
addition to being divisive, remains an
impediment to our pursuit of economic
development and job creation. It also
perpetuates perceptions of our state
we continually seek to overcome. We
need to move forward with a new flag
that unites us and welcomes everyone.”
The final design, called the Magnolia
Flag, was approved by the public in
November's general election. The flag
features the state's official flower, the
magnolia blossom, as well as 20 stars
representing Mississippi's status at
the 20th state in the union and a gold
five-point star to reflect Mississippi's
five indigenous nations.
Following the campaign, Mississippi
lawmakers voted to remove the
controversial flag, which was adopted
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves thanked
the commission for its work and said,
“I think they did a good job. A welldone flag.”
WE MUST BE THE CHANGE
17