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Essay / The Confederate Flag as a Racist Symbol
In 1861, eleven southern states of the United States of America surrendered to the Union and war broke out between the Union and the Confederacy in April 1861 during the Battle from Fort Sumter. The main reason for the division between the Northern and Southern states was the long-standing debate over black slavery. The war would claim up to a million lives in 4 years and end with the abolition of slavery in 1865 after the surrender of Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Appomattox Court House. Due to the pro-slavery notion behind the flag, it is widely considered a symbol of hatred and is associated with white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay There are many reasons why the Confederate flag is considered a racist symbol. According to the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) "During the war, the Confederacy and its military forces used a variety of flags, but the flag that became most associated with the Confederacy was the so-called "flag of battle ". Organizations such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans adopted the flag as a symbol of Southern heritage, but the Confederate soldiers who fought under it were linked to a campaign against President Lincoln's growing support for repeal of the right to own slaves. The intention behind the Confederate campaign led to the flag becoming very popular among white supremacists in the 20th and 21st centuries. The flag has been a symbol white supremacists have rallied around for nearly 150 years since the founding of the Ku Klux Klan. The flag has been associated with many white supremacist groups, the most notable group being the KKK. The same month after slavery was abolished, several former Confederate soldiers gathered in Tennessee to form a group "dedicated to resisting laws granting blacks the same rights as whites." The Klan was known for carrying out raids and lynchings, according to Britannica: "Clothed in robes and bedsheets designed to frighten superstitious blacks and prevent their identification by occupying federal troops, Klan members whipped and killed freedmen and their white supporters during night raids. .” at the height of their power, they had over 4 million registered members nationwide. The despicable actions carried out by the KKK clearly demonstrate the racist influence of the Confederacy due to its deep roots in the group. If such actions can be linked to the Confederacy, then they can be linked to their flag. The flag still has racist connotations in the modern era, with many hate crimes being associated with the flag. The old ideology of white supremacy channeled through the flag still has a hold on the country and on the people of the former slave states. Tragic hate crimes have been established to have an affiliation with the Confederacy and the flag. According to the Guardian, “the debate reignited in 2015 after Dylann Roof killed nine black people in a church in Charleston, South Carolina. A photo of him holding a Confederate flag quickly emerged. As recently as two years ago, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was led by neo-Confederates and neo-Nazis. The rally took place due to the removal of Confederate monuments in the city. The event quickly turned violent and unfortunately, James Fields, a white supremacist, drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, injuring 28 people and killing one, a 32-year-old woman named Heather Heyer. James Fields was sentenced to life in prison according to the Rolling Stones: “On Monday, James.