South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley displayed strong leadership on Monday by calling on the legislature to vote to take down the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the state capitol.
The flag is an ugly symbol of treason, slavery, violence and racism, yet under the guise of “heritage” it has maintained a prominent position in a public space in a state in which 1.3 million residents, or about 30 percent of the population, is black.
The move, which I argued for last week (and also on a visit to the capitol back in 2008), was long overdue. It won’t bring back any of the victims of the Charleston church shooting. Nor will it end racism in this country. But it is, nonetheless, a seminal moment in America for race relations.
Even if somebody takes the most cynical view of this decision, and views it as a pure political calculation, the fact that it’s now seen as politically smart for a South Carolina governor to take a stand against the Confederate flag represents progress.
If last week’s tragic shooting served as a reminder of how far we still have to go to fight racism in this country, Monday’s announcement should be seen as indication of how far we’ve come.
