What does the Confederate flag represent? From this simple question, many different answers are generated. Most notably the answers that are given are "slavery" and "racism". This is not the case for everyone. Being raised in North Carolina, I often see the Confederate flag. Whether it's passing by homes that are proudly flying the flag on the front porch, going to the beach, or seeing it on clothes and stickers placed on cars. I often wonder if these people know what it represents. If so, why would they bluntly display such a controversial symbol? Due to this controversy, coupled that with the recent police shootings of unarmed African-Americans, and the rising attention on racism in America, last school term my English teacher assigned small
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During this discussion with classmates about the flag, a white female classmate in my group responded to my claim by stating: "The Confederate flag has nothing to do with racism and slavery but instead represents the Old South and Southern Pride". This response surprised me, not only because of what she said but because I know her personally. She isn't racist, and she treats me the same as she treats her white friends. I asked her, "What did the Old South represent?" and "What does Southern Pride mean?" She simply did not have an answer to those questions. Using my understanding of the history of the Old South, I told her that Southerners in the 1860s fought the United States over new laws that were being formed to create Free States. The Southerners believed that slavery should still exist and should not be abolished. The Confederate flag was what those Southerners carried with them and turned into their emblem, making it a racist symbol that represents a war fought to uphold slavery and, later a battle to oppose civil
During this discussion with classmates about the flag, a white female classmate in my group responded to my claim by stating: "The Confederate flag has nothing to do with racism and slavery but instead represents the Old South and Southern Pride". This response surprised me, not only because of what she said but because I know her personally. She isn't racist, and she treats me the same as she treats her white friends. I asked her, "What did the Old South represent?" and "What does Southern Pride mean?" She simply did not have an answer to those questions. Using my understanding of the history of the Old South, I told her that Southerners in the 1860s fought the United States over new laws that were being formed to create Free States. The Southerners believed that slavery should still exist and should not be abolished. The Confederate flag was what those Southerners carried with them and turned into their emblem, making it a racist symbol that represents a war fought to uphold slavery and, later a battle to oppose civil