The five definitive designs for a new, more progressive Mississippi state flag were unveiled on Tuesday.
Three have a magnolia flower, the fourth has a magnolia tree and the final design has a shield that has wavy lines that represent water.
Four of the designs are mostly as full red, white and blue. One has a white magnolia tree on a blue background. Most have stars to recognize Mississippi as the 20th state. Each includes one star made of five diamond shapes to reflect the history of the state’s Choctaw.
MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR SIGNS BILL RETIRING LAST STATE FLAG WITH CONFEDERATE BATTLE EMBLEM
A nine-member committee will select the final draft Sept. 2.
A projection screen shows the five finalists selected by the Mississippi State Flag Commissioners Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, Miss. (AP)
Nearly 3,000 residents have submitted new flag designs after the state legislature voted in June to remove the Confederate flag emblem from the flag and place a new draft on the November ballot.
Legislative leaders have said for decades that they could not get enough public support to create a new flag, but momentum shifted quickly after Minneapolis police killed a Black man named George Floyd and protests against racial injustice occurred in the U.S., including outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
The definitive pressure to change the flag came from business leaders, education, religion and sports leaders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Frank Miles is a reporter and editor covering geopolitics, military, crime, technology and sports for FoxNews.com. His email is [email protected].
