The Confederate Flag Means This to Me

In the aftermath of the tragic shootings in South Carolina which claimed the lives of nine innocent church-goers, there are renewed calls for the removal of the Confederate flag on public buildings, most notably state capitols in the south.

I have never had an emotional reaction about the Confederate flag.  I realize that for many people, particularly many black people, it stirs up feelings of anger and hurt because it symbolizes the Confederacy, the southern states where slavery flourished. The Confederate flag also symbolizes the vile and dehumanizing system of segregation. This is not ancient history.  Many people have personally experienced the system of segregation, some as the ones being denied equality, others as beneficiaries of the system. But almost everyone has seen a historical record that documents our nation's past inequalities, and often, the Confederate flag is prominent in those images.  Who hasn't