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Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signs law retiring state flag to remove Confederate emblem
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R)(seated)/(ROGELIO V. SOLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signs law retiring state flag to remove Confederate emblem

'This was a hard conversation for Mississippi, but family conversations can often be hard.'

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed historic legislation into law on Tuesday, officially retiring the state flag from 1894 that contained the Confederate battle emblem.

What are the details?

WLBT-TV reported that Reeves signed House Bill 1796 during a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion, flanked by Reena Evers, the daughter of the slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

"Tonight, I am signing a law to turn a page in Mississippi by retiring the flag that we have flown since 1894," Reeves declared. "This was a hard conversation for Mississippi, but family conversations can often be hard."

The Republican added, "We may not always agree, but as members of the Mississippi family, we do know the bonds we all share: God's grace, Mississippi grit, a foundation in our history and a hope in our future."

Mississippi governor signs bill removing state flag with Confederate emblemwww.youtube.com

The new law not only retires the state's flag, but initiates the creation of a commission to present a new design to be voted on by the people of Mississippi.

In recent weeks, Mississippi faced increased pressure to remove the Confederate emblem from its flag as a movement to do away with such tributes sweeps the nation amid anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis.

Also, the NCAA's Southeastern Conference threatened to prohibit the state from hosting SEC championships until it changed the flag.

Mississippi was the last remaining state in the U.S. to exhibit the Confederate battle flag on its banner.

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