[caption id=”attachment_137698″ align=”aligncenter” width=”3900″] The Confederate flag flies near the South Carolina Statehouse, Friday, June 19, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)
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There is more than one Confederate flag protected by state law in South Carolina. As lawmakers debate whether to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state Capitol, another flag hangs in the chapel of the Citadel, a public university in the state.
After nine people were shot and killed at a historic African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, state lawmakers as well as leaders across the country have been calling for the flag’s removal.
Henry Darby, a city council member in Charleston, has been advocating for the removal of the flag from the Citadel since last year. Darby said he was “blasted viciously by alumni” of the university who accused him of racism.
In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, Darby said that he doesn’t want to dictate what individuals put up on private property, but the Citadel is a public university that is supported by taxpayers and should represent all people.
Both flags are governed by the South Carolina Heritage Act, a state law passed in 2000 that authorized the removal of a much larger Confederate flag from the Capitol dome. Under this law, the only way to remove or change the placement of any symbol of the Confederacy or the civil rights movement is with the support of two-thirds of state lawmakers.
Many conservative lawmakers and pro-Confederate flag protesters view the flag as a symbol of regional pride, however the attack inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has caused many to change their positions on the issue, especially after photos surfaced of shooter Dylann Roof burning an American flag, and posing with the Confederate flag and monuments to Confederate history.
On Monday, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has previously refused to address the issue, called on lawmakers to remove the flag from the State House grounds. South Carolina senator and presidential candidate Lindsey Graham also voiced his support to take down the flag.
Two state university leaders have said they stand with Governor Haley’s decision: Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina and Jim Clements, president of Clemson University.
A spokesperson for The Citadel said Monday that the flag remains in the chapel and is covered under the Heritage Act.
