A controversy born in the middle of the 1990's still brews in many southerners. It stems from the darkest part of American history, and is the symbol of an uneasy southern past. It is the confederate battle flag.
"It has become a symbol for a portion of the southern population, a symbol for white supremacy," David Goldfield, history professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, said. "On the other hand, it is a part of our history."
Goldfield gave a lecture at the Fogelman Executive Center called, "The Confederate Flag, history or hate?" yesterday. He is the author of several books, a native Memphian and Pulitzer Prize nominee.
"I have always thought history, even if it is unpleasant, needs to be in the open," Goldfield said.
Sabrea Jones, a sophomore communication major, said she doesn't think the flag should be in the public because anger and hostility are spawned in her whenever she sees it.
"I think it should just be forgotten," Jones said. "I don't think there is anything positive about it."
Bianca Glass, a sophomore in psychology, disagrees with Jones.Even though Glass said that it is a symbol of racism to her, it should be remembered.
"If you forget the past it will hurt the present," Glass said.She said, however, she feels the flag is still a negative symbol. The people who carry it around with them often have a racist attitude, she said.
Goldfield said there are those supporters of the flag that carry it around for reasons other than their ancestry.
"There is no doubt in my mind," Goldfield said, "a portion of the people who want to keep the flag want it out of defiance."However, he said a great part of them want it for their heritage.He said that its place is in a museum, so it won't be forgotten, but it could be remembered in a historical context.
Kalena McKinney, a sophomore business major, said she doesn't think it should be up.
"It holds onto the history and the past," McKinney said. "We should have a flag that represents us better."
Goldfield said the flag can make the South look bad, and symbols like it can be a big concern for the business community. Kim Hudgen, a psychology major form Washington, said that it is not a big issue there.
"When it's in the news, we pay attention," Hudgen said.Goldfield said that the controversy came to a head in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He said a lot of business people got really nervous, which began the process of changing the flag in Georgia.
Those concerns started awareness in other southern states like the Carolinas and Mississippi, Goldfield said.
It wasn't until March of this year that the Georgia state flag actually changed.
He said the controversy has even destroyed many political careers, but despite that there should still be a place where the flag can be seen.
"If you look at it objectively, as history, it is definitely a symbol of hate," Goldfield said. "As an educator, I think we can learn from it. We need to find an appropriate place to display it."
