Essay on The Confederate Flag’s Heritage of Hate

In America the confederate flag is often known as a symbol of slavery and abuse. Daniel Barkley argued a completely different argument in this text. He stated the confederate flag was removed from South Carolina’s State Capitol because African Americans began to make this their “black power flag”.

There may come a day when the blatantly racist meaning of the flag fades away along with the scars of integration. Until that day comes, the responsibility falls upon Confederate flag fliers to explain what it means to them. As for the rest of us, we should keep an open mind, about a symbol that has stood for so much to so many, be it right or wrong.Taking down the Confederate flag does not mean supporters of the flag have lost. It’s a message that we refuse to allow the people who use the flag as a symbol of hate to divide us. We may never completely agree on whether the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism or pride, and whether the Civil War was fought primarily over slavery or state’s

“Symbol of a brave past or banner of treason?” Kevin Baker asks this in his article titled That Flag. This is the question that many people have tried to answer. The Confederate Battle Flag has been used to send many different messages to the public, and depending on who you talk to it holds different meanings. As explained in the article titled Political culture, religion, and the Confederate Battle Flag debate in Alabama written by Jonathan I. Leib and Gerald R. Webster. The article explains that, “Many traditional white southerners view the Confederate Battle Flag as emblematic of the sense of duty and sacrifice of their ancestors during the Civil War and Reconstruction. They argue that the Civil War was not about the institution of slavery

“Countless white supremacy groups, use the flag often, and the 21-year-old white man who confessed Friday to killing nine black people at a historic church in Charleston, S.C, rocked the “rebel flag” on his license plate and took numerous pictures with the controversial flag.” Belton, Danielle. “Southern pride or Jim Crow’s death rattle? Everything you need to know about the confederate flag”. 23 June, 2015. Web. 30 August, 2015. Jim Crow laws were state laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. For decades, the confederate flag was scampered during remembrances of the war and then for the most part was packed and out away. It was still a novelty until 1948. But, that was the year it went from Civil War indelible to political football, when he raised the wrath of pro-segregation Southern Democrats, also known as “Dixiecrats”. With the advancement to end the Jim Crow Laws, the flag got more and more popular among the segregation set, and was being used into many southern state flags and began to be flown alongside South Carolina’s state flag. A signal phrase that introduces quoting or paraphrasing.

Flags are familiar symbols and popular with all ages. A flags definition is usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or as a decoration. (Alle, pg. 127) Most people today consider the Confederate Flag to be racist but others just see it as a way to say they are proud to be from the South. Have people actually researched what they are saying or are they throwing out what they have heard others say? What does the confederate flag really mean and why do people think it has to do with racism? I want to inform people of the history of the Confederate flag, the real meaning behind it and that it is not racist. It is a national flag and no matter what

Therefore, the flag is a something that symbolizes racism and support for segregation. I do not think that something like that should be supported within society. Flying the flag is a set-back for the fight against racism. There are many problems with supporting the flag as a symbol to many different culturally diverse groups. The flag represents segregation and that is something that needs to be left in the past. The main moral reason why someone should not fly the confederate flag rests is the fact that it is extremely racist to individuals who battled through the consequences of segregation and racism. It should not be morally acceptable for anyone to support an object that represents so much pain and hurt to individuals of different races. I understand that under the first amendment people have the right to freedom of speech, however, I do believe this flag infringes on the rights of others and has been used a symbol of

The beginning of Confederate flag controversy started due to the request of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) to remove the flag off the South Carolina statehouse. This request, based on the fact that the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag as one of hateful and discriminatory views. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently which considered themselves pro-flag groups. They claim that the flag holds a sign of history of heritage and should stay on the statehouse. The Confederate Flag 's banning is not necessary nor appropriate. Its meaning can not hold a misinterpretation as what it used to fly over, that being the confederate flag. The confederate flag represented the confederacy just as any flag of any country would represent any other group or country, state, club, etc.

During the Civil War, the Confederate Flag stood for war, conflict, and southern pride. Today “one-in-ten Americans have a positive reaction when they see the Confederate flag displayed (Pew Research Center,

The power that comes from an object or symbol is not inherent. At one point in human history a cross was simply just two sticks laying on top of each other. Humans gave it power by using it and acknowledging it as a symbol. The case is the same with the confederate flag. It is a powerful symbol because of the connotations that humans have given it. The problem is not everyone has the same idea on what the confederate flag stands for. Gene Demby, author of When The ‘Heritage’ In ‘Heritage Not Hate’ Is More Skynyrd Than Stonewall Jackson spoke to multiple people who all have different reasons for liking the flag. Rather than see it as a sign of slavery they connect the flag to their childhood or a memory they have that has literally nothing to do with slavery. Gene’s point is that the flag is significant based on personal heritage and experiences not that of the past. Hugh Howard author of, How the North distorts Civil War history has yet another approach. He doesn’t necessarily debate the meaning of the flag, but does illuminate that most people only have one side of the story when it comes to the reasons for the Civil War. The north was in favor of slavery just as much as the south, yet nobody seems to have a problem with the Union flag. This leads to the conclusion that it isn’t the flag itself that is the problem rather the people who endorse it. Lastly Byron Thomas, author of I am a black South Carolinian Here’s why I support the Confederate flag uses the fact that he is

The Confederate Battle Flag represented the Southern Nation, this not true. The Southern Nation had 3 different types of national flags during the course of the war. Which all 3 have been modified because resemblance of the United States Flag. The other Confederate Flag was the parade flag. People have taken it upon themselves to incorporate the “Southern Pride” upon their own terms and meanings, which in no shape or form was the reason why the Confederate Flag was created for or intended. All they needed was a clever tricky way to fool the enemy.

During the war in the year of 1862, Southerners were known as Confederates. Therefore, they disconnected themselves from symbols of old, which was the Confederate national flags and adopted the symbol of the Confederate battle flag. The flag perhaps, inextricably intertwined with states’ rights, slavery, and the Confederacy which gave the battle flags a new meaning. The flag will always be the “flag of the Confederate soldier”, and therefore Southerners would like for it to be respected as such. However, since 1865 the flag has taken on additional meanings,

The confederate flag has always been a symbol that has caused much controversy. It has been called a symbol of pride, also a symbol of hate. Many people wonder why it is still seen in today’s society or why it causes so much tension if it is just a flag to some. The flag has “bisected the country for a long time” (Kozlowska, 2014). It is a definite border between some citizens and a huge social problem. It has caused issues for decades and still carries on racial slurs, white power, and bad morals. Nonetheless the information provided compares both sides of the debate.

First of all, the opposing side (against the confederate flag) states the flag is offensive and supports slavery. For example, Barbara Schindo states, “It kind of symbolizes slavery,” she also says, “Even though it used to stand for the South, today it’s used by hate groups” (Schindo SAS). Refuting this argument is quite simple, the Civil War was fought for various issues, not just slavery. In actuality, the widely varying culture and economics systems was, in fact, a greater issue between the North and South. Furthermore, at its height. The North had 40,00 slaves, so the North also had a severe slavery issue.

The author mentioned that some citizens are still perturbed by the Confederate flag. While the number is slowly waning, many citizens were a part of the civil rights movement. They watched racist people protest against them using the flag as a symbol of racism, oppression, and hatred. To some, the flag may serve as a permanent reminder that racism is not truly dead in America.

The use of the flag by groups with white supremacist inclinations showcases the racial symbolism behind it. In 1948, the Southern Democratic party, commonly known as the “Dixiecrats,” adopted the confederate flag as their own (history.net). The group was a compilation of former Confederate states of South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee. The political platform of the Dixiecrats was to fight for state's rights, but more importantly to promote segregation. Their slogan was “Segregation Forever.” Segregation in itself is a racist, demeaning, and condescending concept that this party clung to so dearly. In the midst of the Democratic National Party in 1948 the group waved the Confederate flag to represent themselves. The flag represented what this party stood for, and is therefore inherently racist. But the Dixiecrats were not the only group to claim the Confederate flag. One of the most infamous white supremacist groups to ever exist, the Klu Klux Klan, started to use the Confederate Flag as well. Although the group was founded by Confederate veterans in the late 19th century and used the flag, the reuse and recirculation of the flag among Klan members did not start again until the 1960’s and 1970’s (Richardson and Martinez, 116). This correlated exactly when the Civil Rights movement began taking off. Already the symbolism of the flag had been thwarted within thirty years from the Dixiecrats to the KKK to mean and hold the connotations of segregation,