JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi officials are having a ceremony to relegate the former state flag to history. The gathering Wednesday comes a day after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a new law removing official status from the last state banner in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem. Mississippi faced increasing pressure in recent weeks to change its 126-year-old flag since protests against racial injustice have focused attention on Confederate symbols. The new law requires a ceremony for the “prompt, dignified and respectful removal” of the flag. It is being down at the Capitol and presented to the state Department of Archives and History.
By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press
Mississippi Flag Retiring Today
