GREENSBORO: A symbol of hate or heritage? The debate over the Confederate battle flag wages on.
In Alabama, the confederate battle flag and the 3 flags of the confederacy no longer fly on capitol grounds in Montgomery. Each of the flags taken down one by one. Alabama's governor made the call Wednesday to avoid drawn-out political fights over the flags.
"Many defenders of the flag say that it represents states' rights and their right to be individuals and make decisions themselves, we can never separate that the decision was being fought about and what that flag represented was their right to own slaves," said Professor Arwin Smallwood, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Chair, Department of History.
Professor Smallwood says you can't talk about the Civil War without talking about slavery. That's history.
![[ID=29256927]](/Portals/_default/Skins/PrestoLegacy/CommonCss/images/pullquote.jpg "Professor Arwin Smallwood, NC A&T [ID=29256927]")
The way people have interpreted the reason for the war is where this debate on the Confederate flag starts.
"You can't really say this is my heritage and I wrap myself in this heritage without exploring and examining what that heritage really was and what it was for other people other than yourself and other people," said Prof. Smallwood.
The Confederate states formed in 1861. The new government adopted the "Stars and Bars" as the new nation's banner. With the Civil War came the confederate battle flag which is the center of this national debate.
"Some people think it is a symbol of heritage but there is a lot evidence that it's a symbol, at least appropriated as a symbol of hate," said Professor Charles Bolton, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Chair, Department of History.
The key word Professor Charles Bolton said - is appropriated.
Bolton says veterans of the confederacy started using the battle flag to honor their comrades after the war. But Bolton says then groups like the Ku Klux Klan adopted the flag as a symbol of hate and racism. Those groups used the flag prominently through the 1950s and 60s and even today.
"The long and short of it is, the moment [the flag] was being used to basically propagate or preach hate whether it was during integration, whether it was during reconstruction, whether it was during what we call the Red Summer, the period of 1919 through the 1920s when the Klan rose and you had millions of Klan members marching through the streets of DC flying again the Confederate flag. If the flag meant that much to people and it was to be separated from hatred and from racism, and from white supremacy, that was the time to make the stand," said Prof. Smallwood.
Both professors agree the flag needs to be remembered in its place in history.
"There is an appropriate place for these symbols when we are talking and teaching history to our students and we want them to understand the historical events and what is taking place and what is happening," said Prof. Smallwood.
In North Carolina, the Confederate National Flag flies about the Capitol on 3 dates, but only if requested by the Sons of Confederate Veterans or the Daughters of Confederate Veterans.
The dates are May 10, Confederate Memorial Day, March 4, Confederate Flag Day and January 19, General Robert E. Lee's birthday. If the request is approved by the Deputy Secretary of Cultural Resources, the flag will fly on the Saturday closest to these three dates.
Another place you'll see a confederate battle flag - license plates. Since the state started offering them in 1998, 2,064 have been issued. Governor McCrory will ask the General Assembly to change the law to stop issuing these plates.
Stay connected 24/7 via WFMY News 2
Get the WFMY News 2 App and the WFMY News 2 Weather App free in the Apple store.
