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- The SEC threatened to withhold sporting competitions from Mississippi until the state flag is changed.
- The flag contains depictions of the Confederate flag.
Southeastern Conference (SEC) Commissioner Greg Sankey joined the national debate surrounding civil rights and Confederate-era symbols by leveraging that no SEC conference events will be held in Mississippi until the state changes its flag.
The Mississippi flag features the Confederate battle emblem: a red field topped by a blue “x” with 13 stars. The state adopted the Confederate-based flag following the Civil War.
“It is past time for change to be made to the flag of the State of Mississippi,” Sankey said, according to ESPN. “Our students deserve an opportunity to learn and compete in environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all.”
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This comes as Confederate memorials, monuments and symbols are being removed across the U.S. The debate over whether or not such relics should stand is not new, but the Black Lives Matter protests following the police killing of George Floyd have jump-started states and private sectors into more immediate action.
Some statues have even been toppled during protests.
In the sports industry, black athletes have been increasingly vocal about systemic racism, putting pressure on industry executives to take a stand on civil rights protests, notably with the NFL closing in observance of Juneteenth.
“In the event there is no change, there will be consideration of precluding Southeastern Conference championship events from being conducted in the State of Mississippi until the flag is changed,” Sankey said.
ESPN notes that the SEC last held a championship event in Mississippi in May 2016, a softball game.
The flag has been a source of contention prior to the national civil unrest, with the NCAA having already banned predetermined postseason events from being held in Mississippi. State universities, such as Mississippi State and Ole Miss, stopped flying the flag in 2016.
Mississippi State president Mark Keenum issued a statement following Sankey’s comments on Thursday.
“Since 2015, our Student Association, Robert Holland Faculty Senate and university administration have been firmly on record in support of changing the state flag,” Keenum explained in his statement. “I have reiterated that view to our state’s leaders on multiple occasions, including during face-to-face discussions in recent days and hours. On June 12, I wrote to the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the Mississippi House reaffirming that support. The letter said, in part, that our flag should be unifying, not a symbol that divides us. I emphasized that it is time for a renewed, respectful debate on this issue.”
The last referendum held in Mississippi to change the flag occurred in 2001.
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