What’s Behind the Confederate Flag?

Today, Katie, the second of our two new US interns (in their first week with OBV) tells the story of the controversial, and at times divisive flag from U.S history.

Having grown up in the southern part of the United States, the sight of a confederate flag is nothing out of the ordinary. Flying from the porch of a country home or posted in the back window of a pick-up truck, the symbol has become so prevalent that it hardly garners a second look. However, the recent tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine African Americans were killed at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, has called into question the prominence of this southern symbol and its place in America’s past and present.

Historically, the confederate flag dates back to the American Civil War, in which eleven southern states seceded from the Union in a fight to preserve the institution of slavery. The flag seen today was not the original flag of the Confederacy but rather a version designed to be used only in battle in order to better distinguish it from the flag of the Union army.  The design was inspired by the secession flag of South Carolina, which featured the St. George’s Cross.  However, in an attempt to avoid religious affiliation, the cross was tilted to appear as an x-shaped saltire, which ironically is identical to the St. Andrew’s cross.  This version of the flag gained prominence through its use by the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee.  However, upon the end the Civil War, the abolishment of slavery, and the reunification of southern and northern states, the flag was laid to rest.

It wasn’t until the Civil Rights movement in the middle on the 20th century that the confederate flag re-emerged. In 1948, South Carolinian politician Strom Thurmond, who ran for president as a representative of a newly formed political party that stood for racial segregation, used the flag in his campaign. In the following years as desegregation legislation increased, the flag became increasingly prominent.

In 1961, South Carolina raised a confederate flag over its State House to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and it is this flag which is at the centre of debate today.

While an obvious solution might seem to take the flag down, it is protected by the South Carolina Heritage Act of 2000, which states that in order to “honor and recognize the history and heritage of this State and the many contributions of its diverse citizenry, it is necessary and appropriate to codify the placement of certain symbols on the Capitol Complex and within the State House which salute the contributions and sacrifices of our constitutional history.” Further, this sentiment and the significance of the confederate flag is understood by many who were born and raised in the South. To them, the flag commemorates Southern history, honours lives lost in the Civil War and is a representation of regional pride and heritage.

However, for many other Americans, including a great number from the South, the confederate flag is a reminder of a cause that fought to uphold the institution of slavery. Far from an emblem of American heritage, it serves as a reminder of the racial discrimination and inequality that still exists in American society today.

For this reason, President Obama’s statement that the confederate flag belongs in a museum has resonated not only with black communities in the southern US, but communities of Americans all across the country. While the flag certainly represents a part of America’s past that cannot be overlooked, the Charleston massacre shows it’s now time to reconsider what the flag represents and where it belongs in American society.