How The Confederate Flag Changed Our Culture

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From the 1960’s to 2000, the Confederate Flag flew on the SC State House flagpole and caused a great impact on the country. Along this period there were many conflicts, boycotts, and fires all around South Carolina. Even a march that included more than 50,000 people! The Confederate Flag of SC was taken off the statehouse pole on July 2nd, 2000 after 30 years of controversy. This conflict between SC lawmakers and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) started at the 100th year anniversary of the Civil War, which was when the flag was raised; but African Americans thought it represented slavery. Although, the flag represented the people who risked their lives in the fight for freedom. The fight for freedom was …show more content…

46,000 people marched to the statehouse in the year of 2000 making sure the flag was either taken down or kept up. No one can say that this event didn’t change our society when this many people were involved. But, there have been some unwanted changes that have happened. For instance, the flag caused our society to be unhappy with each other for having different viewpoints. The people who were offended, would riot across the streets of Columbia and cause bigger controversy than the Confederate flag itself. This changed our society because the news at this time was all about the Confederate flag! It doesn’t just affect the people who want the flag down, it affects the people who want the flag up as well. When the flag was taken down, the basis of southern heritage was gone. “The psychological power of the flag stretches beyond the evaluation of politicians. It may even influence everyday interactions” (Resnick 4). This shows, not just from my perspective, that the Confederate flag truly changed our society. Resnick uses the words “influence everyday interactions”, which means the flag does affect our daily lives here in South