The (American) flag is the symbol of our national unity, our national endeavor, our national aspiration. The flag tells of the struggle for independence, of union preserved, of liberty and union one and inseparable, of the sacrifices of brave men and women to whom the ideals and honor of this nation have been dearer than life. It means America first; it means an undivided allegiance. It means America united, strong and efficient, equal to her tasks. It means that you cannot be saved by the valor and devotion of your ancestors, that to each generation comes its patriotic duty; and that upon your willingness to sacrifice and endure as those before you have sacrificed and endured rests the national hope. It speaks of equal rights, of the inspiration of free institutions exemplified and vindicated, of liberty under law intelligently conceived and impartially administrated. There is not a thread in it but scorns self-indulgence, weakness, and rapacity. It is eloquent of our community interests, outweighing all divergences of opinion, and of our common destiny.
Charles Evans Hughes
Former Chief Justice of the United States, and founding leader of NCCJ
National unity. Undivided allegiance. Equal rights. Common Destiny. These words articulated by Former Chief Justice and NCCJ founding leader Charles Evans Hughes describing the importance of the American flag are aligned with the continuous mission of The National Conference for Community and Justice --- to fight bias, bigotry and racism by promoting understanding and respect among all races, religions, and cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution and education. In striving toward our mission, NCCJ has addressed many complicated issues: hate crimes, affirmative action, immigration, and the like. One issue that is clear cut and remains an unnecessary barrier to building a more inclusive and just nation is the Confederate flag.
Historically, the Confederate flag was a symbol of the Confederate States of America who defended the rights of individual states that maintained their economy through slave labor during the Civil War. Although the Civil War ended 137 years ago, the battle over the legacy of slavery, segregation, and civil rights remain. Through the years, the Confederate flag has taken on additional negative connotations because it was used as a symbol of resistance during the civil rights movement and is currently a prominent symbol of active white supremacist groups1. This is not to say that all individuals who bear the Confederate flag are racist. However, the symbolic meaning of the flag is that of white domination and Southern pride.
Some people assert that the Confederate flag is a symbol of their heritage, however, for many people of color and religious minorities across the United States and other communities around the world, the Confederate flag represents hatred, bigotry, racism, and anti-Semitism. This symbol is a very powerful nonverbal communication tool that, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), generates deep meaning, intent, and significance in a compact, immediately recognizable form. The ADL further contends that the usages of racist symbols, such as the Confederate flag, are the building blocks that compose the vocabulary of racist imagery and are used interchangeably throughout the world. Members of racist organizations often use such symbols along with more specific images associated with their groups, and independent racists can avoid association with a specific group, and perhaps prosecution of that group by law enforcement, by opting for more universal racist symbols.
NCCJ maintains that the Confederate flag is a visible, confrontational racist symbol that represents racial oppression, segregation and slavery. As noted by Mr. Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "The (Confederate) flag is representative of an era that epitomized everything that was wrong and inhumane in this country and should be stripped of any sovereignty context and placed into a historical context." NCCJ concurs with this sentiment and calls for the removal of the Confederate flag from all public properties with allowances for its usage in appropriate historical and educational contexts.
Through education measures, the depiction of the Confederate flag has inspired many American citizens to use their voices and vote against keeping such emblems on their state flags. In 2001, Georgia changed its flag by removing the large Confederate battle cross and replacing it with the state seal. Although, several states across the country still have symbols on their state flags that can be construed as reflective of the Confederate flag, progress has been made in every state but Mississippi. Unfortunately, in 2001, despite claims that it would undermine the state's economy and is blatantly offensive, Mississippians voted to keep the Confederate emblem on their state flag. Mississippi remains the only state to flagrantly display this symbol of divisiveness on their flag.
All people of goodwill need to recognize that the Confederate flag is not just a symbol against communities of color and religious minorities, but that it is an attack on the freedoms of our nation. Similarly, racism has no boundaries and this issue cannot be confined to the Southern states. We are all residents of the United States and an issue of bias, bigotry, and racism must be fought by all of us --- not just some of us. NCCJ therefore calls on all residents of the United States to actively oppose the usage of the Confederate flag and denounce it as a visible public statement that is offensive in nature.
Collectively, the people of the United States have been great allies on this issue recently and fought toward victory together. Before the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, the public outcry against the state flag resulted in it not being flown at the games. Similarly, at the University of Mississippi football games, Confederate flags have been banned from being waved on poles. Such actions create change and contribute to the momentum of stopping the usage of such symbols.
A flag of the United States should be a symbol of unity and admiration, not incite tension and strife. This has been exemplified by the people of our nation since the attacks of September 11, 2001 with the waving of the stars and stripes across the nation. Similar patriotic showings have occurred at historic moments --- in honor of our military, space achievements, and the victories of our athletes. We all need to stop the proliferation of such hate and comply with the request of former Georgia House leader, Mr. Denmark Groover. After sponsoring legislation to add the Confederate emblem to the Georgia state flag in 1956, Mr. Groover recognized the negative connotations of this symbol and advocated for it to be removed from all public property in 2001.
©2002 NCCJ, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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