Mississippi votes to replace state flag that has Confederate emblem
Mississippi will fly a new flag after citizens voted Tuesday to replace its Confederate-themed banner, which was retired in June.
Voters elected overwhelmingly to adopt “The New Magnolia,” designed by graphic artist Rocky Vaughan, as the new state flag.
The new design features a white magnolia on a dark blue background with red stripes on either side. The flower is surrounded by 20 stars to represent Mississippi’s place as the 20th state in the union. A single star made up of diamonds stands for the Native American people who lived on the land before it was taken over. “In God We Trust” appears at the bottom.
Both houses of the Mississippi legislature voted in late June to replace the old design, which was adopted in 1894.
More than 3,000 flag designs were submitted to a committee that narrowed the choices down to five. Of those, “The New Magnolia” ended up on Tuesday’s ballot.
