Mississippi selects its last five designs for new state flags

The commission was given five definitive options on Tuesday to design a new state flag for the public to consider after the state decided earlier this year to remove the Confederate emblem from its flag.

Another flag, known as the Great River Flag, has a shield that draws inspiration from Mississippi’s Territorial Seal of 1798. It includes waves representing the Mississippi River, the Delta, and the Gulf Coast.

And each design includes a yellow diamond-shaped star to reflect Mississippi’s Native American history and culture.

The head of the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi, Cyrus Ben, who sits on the flag committee, said earlier that the symbol is important to his tribe, seen in clothing, beadwork and basket designs, and represents the eastern rattlesnake with diamond.

The five flags will later be placed on the website of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for the public to vote on.

Last month, with the help of MDAH, committee members gradually narrowed the options last week from an initiative of 3,000 entries, to 146 options, to nine finalists.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 48,000 initial votes had been cast in a public poll for Mississippis to choose their favorite of the nine.

“This shows that Mississippi has an enormous interest in what we do,” said Commission President Reuben Anderson during Tuesday’s meeting. “We will certainly not disappoint her. We will give her the biggest flag we can have.”

MDAH Department Director Katie Blount told CNN on Tuesday that the “level of public engagement has remained very high” the selection process.

She described the process as “positive” and said the commissioners, who were selected by the governor of Mississippi, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House, “worked really well” and listened to each other and the public.

“The back-and-forth (between the commissioners) has been a really important part of the process,” Blount said.

The commissioners will meet again at the end of August to look at what the flags look like on a flag pole. The flags will be flown in front of the Old State Capitol and will then be opened for public comment. Each of the designs may need to undergo minor modifications to fit flag proportions.

They are expected to select the final flag on September 2 to submit to Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Legislation.

“The most important thing is that everyone, the public, should know that this is a choice they will have on the November ballot,” Blount told CNN.

Mississippi dropped its state flag in June, the last U.S. state flag to be flown by the Confederate flag.