JACKSON, Mississippi — The public can submit proposals for a new Mississippi flag, using two requirements in a state law.
The designs cannot include the Confederate battle emblem, and they must have the phrase, “In God We Trust.”
Mississippi recently retired the last state flag in the U.S. with the Confederate symbol that many see as racist. A commission will design a new flag, and voters will be asked to approve it Nov. 3.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History says Monday that it will collect flag proposals from the public until Aug. 13. It says designs should be simple and meaningful.
NEWS RELEASE FROM MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
State Commission Seeks Flag Design Submissions
July 13, 2020
House Bill 1796 established a commission to redesign the Mississippi State Flag. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH), which is providing clerical support for the commission, is now accepting flag design submissions.
The sole purpose of the commission, according to the bill, is to develop, design, and report to the governor and the legislature its recommendation for the design of the new state flag no later than September 14, 2020.
RELATED: Organization which funded Memphis' Christopher Columbus statue speaks out following recent vandalism
Governor Tate Reeves, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, and House Speaker Philip Gunn will each appoint three members to the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag no later than Wednesday, July 15. The chair of the commission will be chosen by the majority vote of the members of the commission during their first meeting.
Criteria
- Only unique flag design submissions that include the words “In God We Trust” will be considered by the nine-member commission. Flag descriptions will not be considered.
- The new flag design cannot include the Confederate battle flag.
- Flag design submissions must adhere to principles of the North American Vexillological Association:
- Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
- Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, color, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
- Use Two or Three Basic Colors.
- Be Distinctive or Be Related.
The deadline for submissions is August 13, 2020. Flag designs may be emailed to Emma McRaney at emcraney@mdah.ms.gov. Submissions may also be mailed to Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, P.O. Box 571, Jackson, MS, 39205-0571.
For more information email info@mdah.ms.gov.
