The nine-member commission will have just over three months to create a new state flag. The group will consist of three members appointed by the Speaker of the House, three by the Lieutenant Governor, and three by the Governor. One appointee will come from the Mississippi Arts Commission. Executive Director Malcolm White says when designing the flag, every detail will be debated. But one item legislators require to be on the flag is the phrase “In God we trust.” “So you begin with that. If it’s going to be red, white and blue you talk about that," says White. "If the committee is open to other colors. A good facilitator will ask ‘what does the color represent?’ Then you talk about design elements. If there’s a star. If there are bars. If there are multiple images to consider.”
White, who was involved in designing the flag for the city of Jackson, says every detail must be considered when creating a new flag to represent all Mississippians. He says “It’s a long and sometimes contentious process where people have very strong beliefs. So it’s a give and take conversation that will take every bit of getting to September the 14th deadline to turn in for the voters to approve or disapprove.”
Another appointee on the commission will come from the Mississippi Economic Council. President and CEO Scott Waller says some businesses in Mississippi have not flown the state flag in years. He says the new flag needs to be a symbol that businesses in the state will be proud to fly. “And now we can think about how we move forward. So that’s the exciting thing, it’s the next new challenge," says Waller. "I think the commission is going to have a very tough task in front of them, but I think it’s one that they’ll be up for the challenge. And quite frankly, it’s going to create a wonderful opportunity for our state.”
The new flag design can not contain the confederate battle emblem, and voters will be asked to approve the new design in the November third general election.
