Ricky Gray didn't plan to kneel during the Pledge of Allegiance at Monday's Adams County Board of Supervisor's meeting in Natchez.

"It's just something I felt led to do at the time," Gray told The Clarion-Ledger. "We are a divided community here, and I felt it was necessary to do something to bring attention to it.

"I've tried talking. I talk about it all the time at our meetings. But it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Hopefully, this will help wake people up."

Gray, the District 4 supervisor, said he received several text messages Tuesday morning from citizens.

"They have all been positive," he said. "They basically thanked me for doing it and agreed that the message needed to be sent."

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Gray, 57, said Natchez and Adams County have been "very divided" since Donald Trump became president in January.

"We were already divided, but you really couldn't see it like you can now," he said. "Since the president has been in office, people are speaking out more and showing you where they stand."

When asked what the reaction was in the room after he knelt, Gray laughed.

"There was no reaction,' Gray said. "I don't think they were surprised because I've talked about this issue so much."

Gray said he was "not sure" if he would kneel again.

"If the Lord tells me to kneel, then I'll kneel."

Contact Billy Watkins at 769-257-3079 or bwatkins@jackson.gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter.