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On the day of the demonstration, Jarrius Adams stood in front of the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in Jackson, where the state flag bearing an image of the “rebel flag” of the Confederacy flew to his left. Scores of people lined the street, eager to hear Adams speak as they marched elbow to elbow in solidarity for Black lives. Drones circled overhead, and supporters held signs, one reading “Racism is a Virus.” The demonstration would be called one of the largest in Mississippi’s history. Its success would bring historic change that had long eluded civil rights activists.

For decades, Black people in Mississippi had been trying to persuade state leaders to furl the state flag once and for all. Adams and fellow activists from Black Lives Matter (BLM) Mississippi – Taylor Turnage, Timothy Young and Calvert White – had decided it was their turn to carry the work forward in the wake of George Floyd’s violent death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.

On June 6 at promptly 3 p.m., the activists presented a list of demands for the state to consider, including that Mississippi change the state flag that had borne the Confederate emblem since 1894, a painful reminder of the state’s role in the fight to maintain the enslavement of Black people during the Civil War and white supremacy that continues to this day.

Their speeches emboldened the crowd. Applause and chants of “Take it down!” echoed throughout the street. To honor Floyd and affirm the fight for racial justice, some demonstrators carried posters reading, “I Can’t Breathe” – Floyd’s final words.

In the following weeks, the BLM activists continued to build momentum, working tirelessly to create a broad coalition to support the movement.

The effort paid off: On June 28, lawmakers passed House Bill 1796, mandating the removal of the state flag and establishing a commission to recommend a new design to voters – a design that could not contain an image of the Confederate battle flag. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill into law two days later.

“I had no words,” said Adams, who organized the demonstration and works as a voter protection organizer for the Mississippi Democratic Party. “We were finally seeing the fruits of our ancestors’ labor. But I wish this would’ve happened 20 years ago or more.”

On Nov. 3, Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved a new flag featuring a magnolia, the state flower, at its center.

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In solidarity,

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