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American Morning

Mississippi Will Keep Flag

Aired April 18, 2001 - 09:08   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Voters in Mississippi have spoken, and the Confederate Stars and Bars will stay. "The Associated Press" count shows the state holding onto its title as the last state to have the Confederate emblem on its flag unchanged.

CNN national correspondent Brian Cabell joins us live. He's in Jackson, Mississippi, with the latest.

Brian, good morning.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

There's no doubt about it: Mississippians like their flag. By a vote of about 65 percent to 35 percent, they voted for the old flag. That percentage, incidentally, roughly matches the racial breakdown here in Mississippi.

But the campaign to defeat the flag was, actually, a coalition between civil rights groups and business interests here. They tried to defeat the flag, but they didn't succeed, and as you might expect, they're not happy about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAKE WILSON, MISSISSIPPI ECONOMIC COUNCIL: I think that that's the unfortunate thing. I've lived here in Mississippi for three years, and I don't see this as a racist state. I see as a state ready to move forward and tying to send that signal, but I feel that it's a state that could not yet deal with this issue and be able move this symbol away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: Supporters of the old flag, the current flag, say it's not a symbol of hate, bigotry, slavery, or anything like that. They say it's simply a matter of honoring their state's past. And they, of course, are pleased with last night's results.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EARL FAGGERT, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: This has been our flag for 107 years. We've had some huge business successes here in Mississippi in recent years. Most businesses locate to Mississippi because of the labor market. Certainly, they're looking at the bottom line and other factors; I don't believe they have much concern about our flag.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABELL: There have been some hints that a boycott may result because of last night's vote. There's nothing specific about that, but in South Carolina, there was and still is a boycott over the flag, and in Georgia, there certainly was a threat of a boycott before the legislature moved there. So again, there's a possibility here in Mississippi, but most Mississippians are hoping there will not be a boycott as a result of the vote.

KAGAN: Brian Cabell, in Jackson, Mississippi -- Brian, thank you.

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