The appearance of the Confederate flag in Nova Scotia is a disturbing and odious phenomenon.  One of the most blatant displays occurred in Truro. On July 9, 2015, a concerned citizen, while driving through the Dairy Queen on Prince Street, observed that the exterior of the truck ahead of her was adorned with the confederate flag. The truck's detailing included writing declaring that the flag and the culture in which it is embedded is not racist. This can only characterized as a flagrant racist provocation. Let us be clear: The Confederate flag is racist!  It is a symbol of white supremacy! 

The argument that the Confederate flag is simply part of the heritage of the U.S. south is both disingenuous and fraudulent.  The flag was a battlefield flag of the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve the institution of slavery: the dehumanization, oppression and super-exploitation of Africans. Indeed, the display of this repugnant flag is a despicable insult to the sacrifice of the 10,000 Nova Scotians, white and black, whom consciously fought in the U.S. Civil War to bring an end  to the system of slavery. 

After the South’s defeat in the U.S. Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) adopted the flag during its terrorist campaign against the newly freed Africans. During the Civil Rights Movement the Confederate flag was the banner of the white supremacist forces that sought to deny fundamental human and democratic rights to the Black population.  The flag is saturated with racism and fascism. Various white supremacist groups, such as, the American Nazi Party and  the Aryan Nation, have adopted the flag as their standard. In many ways the confederate flag has become the 21st century version of the swastika. 

Our demand for the prohibition of the Confederate flag is not a mere condemnation of one individual or of one solitary racist act. We also condemn the permissive attitude of the state authorities, which allow the frequent and open display of this racist symbol. The state authorities’ refusal to take action on this issue raises the obvious question: Why is the public display of the Confederateflag not a hate crime in Canada? This question is not an academic one.  It was not too long ago that a cross burning (the KKK signature) occurred in Windsor, Nova Scotia. In short, it is a question that cuts to the heart of the humanity and well being of the African Nova Scotia and Mi’kmaq communities. 

Symbols of hate have no place in our province or country. In the wake of the cold, brutal and calculated killing by a white supremacist terrorist of nine Black people in a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina, there can be no space allowed for this terrorist emblem. The Confederate flag is recognized as a universally accepted symbol of racism. The flag should be banned in Nova Scotia and Canada. Those displaying it, selling it and distributing it should be fined and prosecuted. 

Ban the Confederate Flag! 

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