Ole Miss Removes State Flag From Campus
First it was the flagsticks, banned twenty years ago.
Then it was Colonel Reb, a casualty on the sidelines at Vaught-Hemingway stadium in 2003.
Now, the state flag has been removed at Ole Miss.
The Mississippi State flag was lowered and furled by campus police officers in a ceremony. The flag will be preserved in University Archives. The removal of the flag was in response to resolutions by the faculty senate and student senate, according to a story on the website of the Clarion-Ledger
The story quoted Interim Chancellor Morris Stocks:
"Because the flag remains Mississippi's official banner, this was a hard decision. I understand the flag represents tradition and honor to some. But to others, the flag means that some members of the Ole Miss family are not welcomed or valued."
The issue resurfaced after the Charleston, SC shootings in June, but Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was of the opinion the flag did not need to redesigned or lowered at that time.