Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams and country singer Faith Hill are using their voices to inspire change. The Mississippi natives are calling for lawmakers in their state to change the state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem.
Both artists took to Twitter Thursday to voice their opinions on the state’s flag, the last one to have a Confederate emblem.
“[I] remember noticing racial inequities from a very young age but [I] certainly did not realize then that there was anything that could be done about it,” Williams tweeted. “[I] imagine, even a grown-up would feel intimidated/overwhelmed to do something about it in MS.”
Williams went on to urge the legislature to take on the initiative and adopt a new flag “that represents ALL of the citizens of MS.” She tweeted about her childhood in Meridian and how her black classmates and neighbors introduced her to the music she loved that helped inspire her career. She shouted out two people, Sheena and Sakara, who introduced her to D’Angelo and OutKast, respectively.
Hill, a MS native, also posted Twitter thread, telling the state legislature “it’s time for the world to meet the Mississippi of today and not the Mississippi of 1894.” Several attempts have been made to change the state’s 1894 flag, but each have failed.
She started the thread by writing that she loves her home state and thinks back to her parents, high school football, her church and where she fell in love in music. But Hill noted that the meaning behind Mississippi’s history and its flag are not the same for everybody.
“I understand many view the current flag as a symbol of heritage and Southern pride, but we have to realize that this flag is a direct symbol of terror for our black brothers and sisters,” she tweeted.
— Faith Hill (@FaithHill) June 25, 2020
The Mississippi legislature will likely vote on the flag change Saturday, which seems to have enough support.
Hill’s and William’s messages come as various celebrities are using their platforms to advocate for removing various Confederate symbols and monuments. This comes in the wake of protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd and demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism.
Taylor Swift called on her home state to take down Confederate statues. Reese Witherspoon called on the Tennessee legislature to do the same.
Photo by Mehreen Rizvi
Leave a Comment