Contact: Michele Setteducato,michele@fitzgibbonmedia.com,732-614-3818
COLUMBIA, SC – The South Carolina House of Representatives voted just after 1am Thursday to remove the Confederate flag from the state capitol’s grounds in Columbia, following the Senate’s vote to remove the flag on Tuesday. The bill will now go to the desk of South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who has promised to sign it.
ColorOfchange.org is now calling for Charleston City Council to rename Calhoun street, where Emanuel AME is located. The street is named after political leader John C. Calhoun, a slavery advocate who authored much of the secession doctrine preceding the Civil War.
View the petition here:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/change-name-calhoun-street-emanuel-nine-way/
Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org, issued the following statement on the outcome of the vote:
“Our country has never reckoned with the history that the Confederate flag represents, even as supporters call on that history in defense of flying this flag. The truth about the Confederate battle flag is that it represents a past full of racial terrorism and violence against Black people. The South Carolina legislature took a much needed, and long overdue, step toward facing the racist actions that continue to plague our communities today. Thank you to ColorofChange member Jamarr Brown, who started the petition to take down the flag, for his leadership in this fight.
“This vote, and Governor Haley’s pending approval, is a victory but also signals that we have much more work to do, not just taking down the flag but also addressing what it represents. The flag is a symbol of the racism built into the foundations of our economic, educational and criminal justice systems. We will continue the work to undo those injustices. We are also calling for the Charleston City Council to change the name of Calhoun Street to show our support for the community where the tragedy occurred.”
Jamarr Brown, the South Carolinian ColorOfChange member who started a petition demanding the flag come down said the following:
“As a native South Carolinian, I am grateful that the House joined the Senate and voted to retire the Confederate flag from the State Capitol grounds. Today’s vote is a major step that will lead to political and social change in South Carolina. Following the tragedy at Mother Emanuel AME, our state was at a crossroads. Our leaders decided that a symbol of racial violence will not be represented at the steps of the State Capitol. My family has lived in this state for three generations with that flag flying and now future generations can prosper in a state where the Confederate flag is not flying at the seat of government.
Nearly 56,000 ColorOfChange members signed the petition calling for the permanent removal of the Confederate flag. With this flag now coming down, it shows the impact that dedicated activists can have when we stand together. Our collective power led the legislature to do what is right for South Carolina.”
View the original petition here:
For interviews with Rashad Robinson or ColorOfChange.org please contact Michele Setteducato at michele@fitzgibbonmedia.com.
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With more than 1 million members nationwide, ColorOfChange.org is the country’s largest online civil rights group.