It is done. Governor Nikki Haley has just signed the bill mandating the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds.Â
Shortly after 4:00 PM EDT today, Republican Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill lawmakers quickly passed this week mandating the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.Â
Calls for the removal of the flag exploded nationwide after nine members of a Back Charleston Church were gunned down by a white supremacist. Multiple images shortly thereafter surfaced online of that gunman waving the Confederate flag, making it forever toxic.
Lawmakers took action after national corporations, like Amazon an Walmart, expressed discomfort with doing business in the state with the Confederate flag flying on the Statehouse grounds. Other groups, including civil rights groups like the NAACP called for the flag’s removal.
Gov. Haley’s first remarks were to ask attendees to look around to see the huge crowd gathered in the statehouse. She then pointed to the massacre at the Charleston church that ultimately resulted in the bill’s signing today. said, “nine people took in someone who did not look like them or act like them, and with true love, true acceptance, sat with him for an hour.” She pointed to the victims’ “love and faith,” and “compassion” of the victims’ families, who forgave the white supremacist shooter.Â
Due to South Carolina law, the flag will not be removed until the day after Gov. Haley signs the bill. It will be removed at 10:00 AM, as Haley said, “with dignity.”
She also said that this action “is about our children,” who will look at the history books. These actions are ones “everyone can be proud of.”
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UPDATED with video.
Image by Jack Kuenzie via Twitter