David Beasley in Profiles In Courage For Our Time, by Caroline Kennedy

On Principles & Values: Removed GA Confederate flag knowing it might cost election

Although this debate is often framed in terms of the Civil War, the Confederate battle flag began flying over Southern state capitols only during the Civil Rights era. A symbol of white resistance to integration, it was added to the Georgia flag in 1956 following the Supreme Court's decision outlawing segregation in Brown v. Board o Education, while South Carolina unfurled the flag in 1962 as desegregation efforts intensified across the South. As the modern South has become more diverse and prosperous, the flag has come to be perceived as a retrograde and inflammatory symbol by many

On Principles & Values: 1994: Promised to keep Confederate flag; 1998: Removed it

Framing the issue in biblical terms, Beasley addressed SC's citizens on statewide television, asking them to help pressure lawmakers to remove the Confederate flag: "I'm asking that we come together as a people, to honor and understand each other, to forge a ministry of reconciliation that extends to every citizen. The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is time for the races to compromise on the Confederate flag, to show Judeo-Christian love that will bring the races together."

In January 1997, 500 clergymen marched in support of the Governor's initiative. But, the negative reaction was immediate and extreme. Democrat Jim Hodges beat Beasley in 1998.