Faith Hill has implored Mississippi lawmakers to remove controversial Confederate imagery from the state’s flag because it is a ‘direct symbol of terror’ for the black community.
The singer has joined calls to update the state banner amid renewed racial tensions and ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota in late May.
Country star Hill, who was born and raised in Mississippi, took to Twitter late on Thursday to outline her argument for meaningful change.
“To the Mississippi legislature: It’s time to change the state flag,” she began in a series of posts, published as officials in the state House of Representatives considered holding a vote on the matter on Friday.
Declaring she is a ‘proud MS girl’ who loves her home state, the musician continued: “Now, it is time for the world to meet the Mississippi of today and not the Mississippi of 1894 (when the MS legislature voted on the current flag).”
Hill acknowledged the flag’s heritage but pressed her point that now is the right time for change:
“I understand many view the current (Mississippi state) flag as a symbol of heritage and Southern pride, but we have to realize that this flag is a direct symbol of terror for our Black brothers and sisters.”
Mississippi’s banner is the last remaining state flag to feature the Confederate imagery, which was recently banned from all NASCAR events.
Public pressure to take down Confederate monuments across the U.S. has heavily increased in the wake of Floyd’s murder.
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