For Immediate Release
Madison Donzis, 210-488-6220, madison@fitzgibbonmedia.com
CJ Frogozo, 310-570-2622, cj@fitzgibbonmedia.com
ColorOfChange Calls on South Carolina Legislators to Vote Immediately to Remove the Confederate Flag
Encourages state and local governments across the country to follow suit
Columbia, SC - Last week following the racially-motivated mass murder at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolinian ColorOfChange member Jamarr Brown started a petition “Take Down The Confederate Flag From The South Carolina Capitol.” Nearly 50,000 ColorOfChange members have joined him in demanding that Governor Nikki Haley and the South Carolina legislature permanently remove that banner of racial hatred from the capitol grounds in Columbia, SC. Today, Governor Nikki Haley announced her support for removing the flag.
In response, Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org Executive Director made the following statement:
|
We Interrupt This Article with an Urgent Message! Common Dreams is a not-for-profit news service. All of our content is free to you - no subscriptions; no ads. We are funded by donations from our readers.
Our critical Mid-Year fundraiser is going very slowly - only 993 readers have contributed so far. We must meet our goal before we can end this fundraising campaign and get back to focusing on what we do best. |
“We commend Governor Nikki Haley for standing on the right side of history by supporting the removal of the confederate flag from the South Carolina capitol grounds. The South Carolina legislature needs to vote this summer to permanently remove the emblem of racial hatred from the capitol and eliminate it from all government buildings.
“Though we don’t always agree with her politically, Governor Haley has promised true leadership by saying she will call the legislature into special session if they adjourn without taking up this issue. It is now up to the South Carolina legislators to choose whether they will continue to callously defend the confederate flag or remove it and condemn the racist violence and hateful intimidation it represents.
“Removing the flag from the capitol grounds is one important symbolic step. Yet, Governor Haley reminded us in her speech that South Carolina still issues Confederate flag license plates -- as do 9 other states. The confederate flag was born out of a government defending the enslavement of Black people and resurrected as an emblem for whites violently opposing racial integration. Any government that recognizes the flag is declaring that it cherishes a history of racial terror.”
This is the world we live in. This is the world we cover.
Because of people like you, another world is possible. There are many battles to be won, but we will battle them together—all of us. Common Dreams is not your normal news site. We don't survive on clicks. We don't want advertising dollars. We want the world to be a better place. But we can't do it alone. It doesn't work that way. We need you. If you can help today—because every gift of every size matters—please do. Without Your Support We Simply Won't Exist.
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by over one million members, we move decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.
