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CNN Live At Daybreak
Controversy Boiling to Surface Once Again in King's Home State
Aired January 20, 2003 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Today marks the nation's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Observances include an ecumenical service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the civil rights leader was a pastor. As Americans remember King's legacy and celebrate his birth 74 years ago, some say it is difficult to keep King's dream alive.
CNN's Brian Cabell reports on a controversy boiling to the surface once again in King's home state of Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Never take it down! Never take it down!
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The old Georgia flag, prominently featuring the Confederate battle emblem, may have been voted out by the state legislature two years ago, but its boosters still fly it high. Many Georgians have never accepted the new flag, with its tiny battle emblem.
DAN COLEMAN, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: This change that was made in 2001 was just basically shoved down the people's throat by just a very few people and we believe that the people of this state should have some expression of what they want to represent them.
CABELL: The change in flags was engineered by former Governor Roy Barnes, an attempt to finally lay this contentious issue to rest. But it backfired on Barnes because his Republican opponent last year, Sonny Perdue, campaigned on the pledge to give Georgians a voice on the new flag -- keep it or drop it. Perdue won in an upset. Now he's keeping his pledge.
GOV. SONNY PERDUE (R), GEORGIA: What I want is for the majority of Georgians to speak in a way that sends a clear signal to the citizens of this state that that's their choice.
CABELL: He supports a non-binding referendum on the flag, with the expectation that the legislature would then abide by the will of the voters. If the old flag were reinstated, with its history not only of the Confederacy, but of segregation, some here fear a return to racial strife.
MERLE BLACK, EMORY UNIVERSITY: It probably would set off a boycott, an economic boycott by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations of Georgia. It would have a major economic impact on the City of Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: I think many organizations, groups that hold conferences, sports groups, would probably boycott the state. People don't want to be identified with the dark past.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: You can hear more about Georgia's flag flap in the 7:00 Eastern hour of AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN. Paula's guests will be Republican state legislator Warren Massey and Democratic legislator Tyrone Brooks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired January 20, 2003 - 05:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Today marks the nation's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Observances include an ecumenical service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the civil rights leader was a pastor. As Americans remember King's legacy and celebrate his birth 74 years ago, some say it is difficult to keep King's dream alive.
CNN's Brian Cabell reports on a controversy boiling to the surface once again in King's home state of Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Never take it down! Never take it down!
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The old Georgia flag, prominently featuring the Confederate battle emblem, may have been voted out by the state legislature two years ago, but its boosters still fly it high. Many Georgians have never accepted the new flag, with its tiny battle emblem.
DAN COLEMAN, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: This change that was made in 2001 was just basically shoved down the people's throat by just a very few people and we believe that the people of this state should have some expression of what they want to represent them.
CABELL: The change in flags was engineered by former Governor Roy Barnes, an attempt to finally lay this contentious issue to rest. But it backfired on Barnes because his Republican opponent last year, Sonny Perdue, campaigned on the pledge to give Georgians a voice on the new flag -- keep it or drop it. Perdue won in an upset. Now he's keeping his pledge.
GOV. SONNY PERDUE (R), GEORGIA: What I want is for the majority of Georgians to speak in a way that sends a clear signal to the citizens of this state that that's their choice.
CABELL: He supports a non-binding referendum on the flag, with the expectation that the legislature would then abide by the will of the voters. If the old flag were reinstated, with its history not only of the Confederacy, but of segregation, some here fear a return to racial strife.
MERLE BLACK, EMORY UNIVERSITY: It probably would set off a boycott, an economic boycott by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations of Georgia. It would have a major economic impact on the City of Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: I think many organizations, groups that hold conferences, sports groups, would probably boycott the state. People don't want to be identified with the dark past.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: You can hear more about Georgia's flag flap in the 7:00 Eastern hour of AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN. Paula's guests will be Republican state legislator Warren Massey and Democratic legislator Tyrone Brooks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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