Members of Mississippi's Legislative Black Caucus speak in turn on the steps of the state capital in Jackson. Atop the building's dome is a copper eagle - facing south - and raised high above the manicured lawn is the state flag. It's a flag at the center of what has become a national conversation. Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons of Greenville and the members of the caucus gathered beneath it, want it gone.

“Now is the time to act to remove and replace that Confederate flag,” says Simmons.

Weeks ago, when the death of George Floyd ignited protests across the nation against police violence and systemic racism, it also re-energized a debate over a state flag that prominently includes confederate iconography. For many Mississippians - especially black Mississippians - the inclusion of the confederate battle emblem on the state's official banner is an affront to their experiences and sensitivities. To them, it represents a legacy of violence and oppression against the state's black communities.

"I'm old enough to have watched and lived through the Civil Rights Era," says House Minority Robert Johnson. "I also have personal experiences with the terrorism and violence that the flag represents."

Johnson, a Democrat from Natchez, was a child during the tumultuous Civil Rights Movement. He says his childhood experiences with terrorism and violence led him to associate the flag with hatred.

“A good friend of mine’s father was blown up with a car bomb and I watched people celebrate that waving Confederate flags," he continues. "I watched people wave a confederate flag as a way of intimidating people, even in the most innocuous of circumstances”

"I watched people wave a confederate flag as a way of intimidating people, even in the most innocuous of circumstances”

During much of the 20th century, organizations closely linked with white supremacy used the confederate battle flag as a tool of intimidation and coercion. The Ku Klux Klan marched with it. The white Citizens Council displayed it on stationary and in television advertisements crossed with the American flag. This imagery, according to Dr. Stephanie Rolph of Millsaps College, was to normalize the association of white exceptionalism with the American experience.

“They are reiterating what they believe to be a fact, which is that racism, or the belief in white supremacy, is not unique to the deep south. They believe that it’s endemic to the American system.”

The Mississippi legislature adopted the current flag in 1894 - nearly 30 years after the Civil War ended. During the prior period of Reconstruction, wealthy white landowners began to feel their political prowess challenged by newly elected black freedmen. By the 1890's, powerful whites were using racist rhetoric to curry favor with their poorer counterparts, accompanying that message with the confederate emblem.

Rolph says, "we begin to see white leaders step into these spaces, and kind of use racist language and racial threats as a way to energize that poor white base into voting for them."

Many advocates of the current Mississippi flag in the legislature acknowledge the pressure on the state to take some type of action. But, members like Republican Representative Tim Ladner of Poplarville say it should be the people, not lawmakers, who make the decision whether or not to change the flag. Ladner claims "“I tell people all the time, this is not my vote. It belongs to the people of my district. All I do is cast that vote for them, and they’re telling me they want to make that choice.”

"The racial overtones of the flags appearance make this discussion a moral issue."

Republican Governor Tate Reeves has long taken the position that any decision to change flag should be made by the people, as it was during a 2001 referendum. But, in a Facebook post Wednesday evening he indicated for the first time that he probably would not stand in the way if legislators whip up a super-majority to change the flag.

Others hesitant to act, like Republican Bubba Carpenter of Tishomingo County say racism resides in the heart, and a rush to take down the flag won't stop it. "I feel like our problems in this country is not the flag," states Carpenter. "I think it's in our heart. Until people change their hearts, the flag, taking it down isn't going to stop people's hatred."

But recently, even the most conservative organizations are seeing this as a time for change. This week, the Mississippi Baptist Convention, with over a half a million members, released a statement urging lawmakers to change the flag. During a press conference, Executive Director Shawn Parker called the flag a moral issue.

"While some may see the current flag as a celebration of heritage, a significant portion of our state sees it as a relic of racism and a symbol of hatred," claims Parker. "The racial overtones of the flags appearance make this discussion a moral issue."

And it isn't just religious institutions. The Mississippi Economic Council and Bankers Association have also gone on record saying the legislature should act soon. The NCAA even revised its policy on the confederate flag, updating it to prohibit all post-season competition in states that display the image.

The mounting pressure from both internal and external sources is leaving lawmakers looking for answers. Representative Robert Johnson wants to act now - avoiding a potentially toxic public referendum. He says his colleagues across the aisle shouldn't fear what he calls a vocal minority.

“You should not be afraid of them. Look at everything that people say. Look at the young people in this state and what they say, and what matters to them," he says. "The future matters to them.”

The Legislature, whose calendar was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic, plans to conclude its session next week.