JACKSON, Miss. — On the side of Interstate 55, facing south and visible to northbound traffic, is billboard that bears a mixed message.
"We Shall Overcome," it says, quoting a protest song that became the anthem of the civil-rights movement in the 1950s and '60s.
But the letters of the message are composed of a series of Confederate battle flags, a controversial symbol because the Civil War banner also serves as a reminder of slavery and segregation.
The billboard, which appears to have gone up Thursday, states that it was paid for by The LewLA Movement, which, according to an e-mail passed around Twitter, is "a small but innovative group of artists" commissioned by Miss Myrtis Films to do a series of visual and theatrical projects. The LewLA Movement and Miss Myrtis Films say they want to open a dialogue in Mississippi about racial harmony and reconciliation.
Miss Myrtis Films was incorporated in West
Actress
A woman who returned a call from Miss Myrtis Films said that she was on the business side of the company and that she would have someone contact The Clarion-Ledger about the project. No one from the group has returned a call.
The e-mail said the two seemingly divergent symbols should force people to rethink their preconceived notions of both.
"There are those who would claim sole ownership of these symbols and those who would wish them gone, but we are all as Mississippians connected to both of them," according to the e-mail. "There are wounds in Mississippi that have not healed, and this billboard we hope to use as a way to bring communities together for a long overdue talk about those wounds and that connectivity."
Officials at
"We felt she didn't have any malicious intent," said Marty Elrod, general manager of Lamar Advertising's Jackson office.
The e-mail claims that the piece is the first of many intended to spark discussion about Mississippi culture.
But the discussion is more about the billboard itself than the state's culture.
Some Jackson-area residents are adamantly against it, saying they don't think it's a good idea for people from California or New York to come in and start such controversy.
"My thoughts are, 'Can you rent a flamethrower, and what's the range on (it)?' " said Brad Ward, an Ole Miss graduate.
"I understand the message because I am a proud Southerner who doesn't think the rebel flag is a symbol of anything but our raisin' in the South, our heritage of manners, Christian beliefs, respect, pride and love," Cindy Winstead said. "There are, however, others that don't have the same point of view. The KKK (Ku Klux Klan) made a mockery of the Confederate flag and led people to believe that 'every white person from the South is like the KKK.' I think this billboard has the potential to do more harm than good."
Some were unsure about their feelings.
"I thought I had to be seeing things. Nope, it's there. This has to be ironic to say the least," David Knight of Jackson tweeted Monday.
Some said they understood the point but were still unsure if it would fly in Mississippi's social climate.
"I understand the message. I think it's a great one, too. But will everyone? Probably not," said David Lawrence of Crystal Springs, Miss.
Others are unsure about the billboard's success.
"Sure seems odd to want to start a dialogue but not answer calls," said Katie McClendon of Jackson.
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