Commission to redesign Mississippi state flag to select new design Sept. 2
Voters in Mississippi will decide in November whether to adopt a new state flag. The state enacted legislation on June 30 removing the official status of the previous state flag which contained the Confederate battle cross. The Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag will select the design that voters will consider from among five finalists on September 2. According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, the commission narrowed the choice on August 25 to the following two options:
 
After the killing of George Floyd on May 25, protests against racism and the debate about confederate flags and statues resurfaced. Mississippi had been the only state with a flag containing the Confederate battle cross.
On June 27, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) tweeted, "The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it’s time to end it." State Representative Robert Johnson III (D) said, "It is a symbol of terror in the Black community. It is a symbol of oppression in the Black community and it is a symbol of slavery. Johnson also said that the protests against racism after George Floyd's death created "a perfect storm" that spurred the state legislature to act in removing the state flag.
The legislation established a nine-member commission to redesign the flag and provided that "the new design for the Mississippi State Flag shall honor the past while embracing the promise of the future." The proposed flag cannot include the Confederate Battle Flag and must include the words "In God We Trust."
The public was able to submit flag designs (either by mail or email) to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History until August 1. Designs needed to adhere to standards established by the North American Vexillological Association, which describes itself as the largest organization of flag enthusiasts and scholars in the world. Those standards include that it:
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be simple enough that a child could draw it from memory;
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use meaningful symbolism;
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use two or three basic colors; and
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not use lettering or seals.
The commission received around 3,000 flags that met that criteria. On August 18, the Commission narrowed down the number of potential flags to five which were printed on fabric for commissioners to view at a meeting this week. These designs will also be offered for public comment through September 2.
Voters will decide whether to adopt the new flag in a statewide referendum November 3. If voters reject the new proposed flag, the Commission will reconvene again and select another flag design that voters will either approve or reject at a special election in November 2021. Mississippi is one of 21 Republican state government trifectas, meaning that that party controls the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature.
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