Friend,

The Sons of Confederate Veterans have filed suit against the City of Columbus, GA this week over a policy I put in place as mayor, which banned Confederate flags from city property. It was the right thing to do and I am proud of the decision regardless of any controversy.

The Confederate flag’s link to racial suppression and white supremacy is clear. In a segregationist backlash to the burgeoning Civil Rights movement in the South, Georgia commissioned a new state flag in 1956 that prominently featured the Confederate battle emblem. The Confederate flag has been used by hate groups and domestic terrorists to signify the legacy of white supremacy in the United States from the Civil War to this day.

If you believe, as I do, that the Confederate flag should not be displayed on public property, sign my petition now. It is important that we take this stand, together, to show that we will not be complicit in the display of secessionist and white supremacist symbols.

I don’t tolerate hate. I don’t tolerate bullies. Government and public land are for all people. That is why we must not celebrate symbols of oppression, terror, and subjugation. Leadership and political courage are about making difficult decisions that create a path for others to follow.

This campaign is about taking Georgia in a new direction, one that recognizes and addresses the institutional racial bias in education, employment, healthcare, voting access, housing, and criminal justice. To do that, we must learn from our past — and stand up to those who wish to drag us back in time.

Yours truly,
Teresa