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
The new flag was adopted. Barnes' opponent, Sonny Perdue, made the flag a central issue. There is little doubt that the flag was the crucial issue in Barnes' defeat, According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Barnes' support in Atlanta & other metropolitan areas increased or remained steady, but his support among rural white voters dropped 25 points. Even the "flaggers" weren't satisfied with Barnes' defeat, but continued to heckle him up until his last day in office, shouting epithets as he left the Governor's mansion for the drive to his new home.
The above quotations are from Profiles In Courage For Our Time, by Caroline Kennedy. Click here for other excerpts from Profiles In Courage For Our Time, by Caroline Kennedy. Click here for other excerpts by Roy Barnes. Click here for a profile of Roy Barnes. | |||
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