Mississippi Chooses 'The New Magnolia' Flag Design to Replace Confederate Emblem. Now, It's Up to Voters

In late June, Mississippi lawmakers introduced the state to the 21st century by voting to get rid of the ode to racial oppression that was its state flag. On Wednesday, a new flag design was selected and submitted for voter approval in November.

NBC News reports that “The New Magnolia” flag was chosen from nearly 3,000 flag designs submitted by the public to replace the flag with the Confederate symbol. Along with “The Great River Flag,” the “New Magnolia” was among the five finalists that were unveiled late last month.

From NBC:

The “The New Magnolia” flag will go before voters in November for approval. The Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag also agreed on Wednesday to brand the flag “The In God We Trust” flag.

“The New Magnolia,” designed by Rocky Vaughan, “is anchored in the center field by a clean and modern Magnolia blossom, a symbol long-used to represent our state and the hospitality of our citizens,” according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

“The New Magnolia also represents Mississippi’s sense of hope and rebirth, as the Magnolia often blooms more than once and has a long blooming season. The New Magnolia is sleek and updated to represent the forward progression of Mississippi,” according to the department.

Sixty percent of people who partook in an online poll also favored “The New Magnolia” flag.

The Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag had actually discussed putting both design finalists on the ballot but it was determined that adding “The Great River Flag” would only delay the vote, which would mean neither design would make the November ballot. If voters reject “The New Magnolia” the state commission will have to wait until the 2021 session to present the legislature with a new flag design.

According to NBC, Mississippi was the last state in the U.S. with a flag featuring the Confederate emblem.