HRC called on Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves to sign the bill passed by Mississippi lawmakers to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. The Mississippi House voted 91 in favor and 23 opposed. The vote in the Senate was 37-14.

“The Confederate emblem is divisive, rooted in prejudice and it’s time that this longstanding symbol of white supremacy and racial violence is removed from Mississippi’s flag – the last state to feature the Confederate battle emblem as part of its state flag,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “For 126 years, Mississippi had a symbol that promoted white supremacy and openly oppressed Black Mississippians, who make up nearly 40% of the population. We applaud the Mississippi House and Senate for their long overdue actions today, which is a first step of many that must be taken to rectify the state’s long history of anti-Black racism. We call on Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves to sign the bill and remove the Confederate symbol from the flag now. The entire nation is watching.”

In May, HRC released a letter, joined by prominent LGBTQ and civil rights organizations, condemning racism, racial violence and police brutality while calling for action to combat these scourges. The letter is signed by 500+ leaders of the nation’s most prominent LGBTQ and civil rights organizations.