JACKSON, Miss.–The Mississippi flag still flies over most cities in Mississippi on a Monday morning after a weekend that was awash with loud voices against it, or at least against the Confederate symbols on the flag.
A full-page ad appeared in the Sunday edition of The Clarion-Ledger newspaper, with signatures from Mississippi natives who are nationally famous. The celebrities signed against the flag because, according to the ad, black Mississippians are under a flag that “glorifies a war fought to keep their ancestors enslaved.”
Archie Manning, Jimmy Buffett, Boo Ferris, Kathryn Stockett (wrote The HElp), Tate Taylor (directed The Help), Geln Ballard (produced Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill), Dan Mullen, John Grisham, Hugh Freeze, Morgan Freeman, Richard Ford (author of Independence Day-not the same story as the Will Smith movie), John Currence, Ross Bjork, Jim Barksdale (businessman), Greg Isles, Dan Jones, Scott Stricklin and former governors Ronnie Musgrove and William Winter were some of the names that appeared on the ad.
Meanwhile, bikers from all over Mississippi brought their Hogs and their Harleys to the capital city for a rally against the state flag Sunday. Their message, loud and clear from the capital steps, was that the flag is holding Mississippi back and they believe it needs to go.
