Mississippi flag removed from Oregon Capitol

Gordon Friedman | Statesman Journal

One Mississippi ... zero Mississippi. The state flag of Mississippi has been removed from the Oregon Capitol grounds.

It flew as part of the Walk of Flags installation, which displays the flag of each state. Mississippi's flag gained notoriety for its Confederate emblem last year, following a racially motivated mass shooting that killed nine in Charleston, South Carolina.

Oregon lawmakers agreed last year to remove the flag, though they decided to give the Mississippi Legislature a chance to change the flag before removing the one on the Capitol grounds. Since that didn't happen, the flag came down after the Oregon Legislature concluded its 2016 session.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, made statements last week that they were moving to take the flag down as soon as possible. Kotek said last year that the flag is a symbol of racial intolerance and that it is in conflict with Oregon's values.

Several Mississippi cities — including Jackson, the capital — do not fly the state flag.

gfriedman2@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6653, on Twitter @gordonrfriedman or Facebook.com/gordonrfriedman