The fight to finally defeat the omnipresence of the Confederate flag in the South claimed another victory on Monday, with news that the South Carolina State Senate voted — in a sweeping majority — to remove the racist symbol from its position near the statehouse in Columbia. The debate on the flag's perpetual usage in southern states reached a new peak following the Charleston Church Massacre, with particular focus renewed on its affiliations with white supremacists and related factions of racism.
For those less-than-versed in how the American political infrastructure works on matters such as this, the bill must pass the State House before heading to Governor Nikki Haley — who has previously expressed her approval of its swift removal.
The decision also comes in the wake of an increasing number of major retailers pulling all Confederacy-related merchandise from physical and digital shelves, including — but surely not limited to — Walmart, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. In June, Alabama removed the flag from capital grounds in Montgomery.
