Mississippi voters on Tuesday approved the "In God We Trust" magnolia flower design as the new state flag to replace the old one, adopted in 1894, that included a Confederate battle emblem, CNN has reported.
The next step is for the state legislature to enact into law the new design as the official state flag during its next regular session in 2021.
The flower is surrounded by 20 stars, signifying Mississippi's status at the 20th state in the union, and a gold five-point star to reflect the state's indigenous Native American tribes.
Mississippi was the last state in the nation whose flag included the Confederate emblem.
In 2001, the state voted overwhelmingly to keep the Confederate emblem on its flag instead of adopting a new banner.
But a renewed call emerged for replacing the flag this year following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody and the resurgence of racial justice campaigns. This created momentum for state lawmakers to vote to replace the flag in June and set up the Election Day voting on the issue, according to NBC News.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History said the new design "represents Mississippi's sense of hope and rebirth, as the magnolia often blooms more than once and has a long blooming season."
Had voters rejected the new flag, the old one would not have returned. Instead, legislators would have tried again with a new design.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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