I was proud to stand in the halls of the Mississippi State Capitol yesterday to say: It is time to bring down the Mississippi state flag, the only flag in the nation with the confederate battle emblem.

Right now, Mississippi is in the middle of a crucial moment. There is a groundswell of grassroots support to bring down the flag, and replace it with a design that brings us together. I do believe the momentum has grown to the point where we could make history.

Yesterday, I was honored to join Black clergy and elected officials from all over the state at the Mississippi State Capitol. A lot of us have been fighting for this change for a long time, and we are hopeful that the current flag could be coming down soon — perhaps even in the next few days.

People of good will are joining this movement. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans across the state all agree that it’s time to take it down. Faith leaders and local elected officials are calling for change. The NCAA even gave Mississippi an ultimatum: Change the state flag, or no college sports championships.

In fact, our opponent, Cindy Hyde-Smith, is now the lone silent voice on the Mississippi state flag.

Here’s how I see it. We all live under the same flag, so Mississippi’s state flag ought to be a symbol of unity. The design we have now, the confederate battle emblem, is a symbol of hate. It harkens back to a time where it was legal for one human being to own another human being.

God says love everybody. There is no way we should live under a flag that raises one race over another race. We need a new flag that is welcoming for all. I promise you that I’m going to keep fighting for a new flag, and for a better and brighter Mississippi.

We’ll be watching this closely. I’ll keep you updated.

— Mike

P.S. The most important fundraising deadline for our campaign is in just five days. This is our moment to show the strength of our campaign and the movement we’re building together. Will you chip in just $10, or whatever you can? I’m counting on small dollar donations. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.

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