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Confederate flag debate spreads to Canada

Racial tensions in the US are high right now, due to the various protests of police brutality against black people.
Confederate Flag

Racial tensions in the US are high right now, due to the various protests of police brutality against black people. Coming out of that recently is controversy around the Confederate flag, which is seen as a symbol of the Confederate cause during the American Civil War.

The debate intensified after Dylann Roof, who posted pictures with the Confederate flag, opened fire on a historic black church in South Carolina. Later, the South Carolina government received criticism for flying the Confederate flag at the state house and a woman named Bree Newsome climbed the flagpole to take it down. The anti side of the debate says the Confederate flag has its roots in racism and segregation, while the pro-side says the flag is simply a symbol of heritage and rebellion. The debate is more complicated than a simple black and white view of a symbol that meant and means different things to different people.

“History is not cut and dry or black and white. There is a great deal of grey matter and for many people proud of their southern roots they see the flag as part of their past,” said John Kvach, a professor of 19th century US history at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. “I have no problem with that use of history or if the flag is part of a remembrance. But when states fly that flag over state buildings it becomes a problem because it does not represent all Americans. It is a flag associated with two histories and both histories have to be taken into consideration when it is used in public.”

The civil war started when the north and south disagreed about the federal government’s power to ban slavery from US territories. The north wanted to move away from slavery, while the south wanted to preserve it as an economic institution. Eventually, seven slave states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America while soon being joined by others.

“The Confederacy wanted to ensure that slavery would remain a basic southern institution and hoped to secure this by relying on states’ rights to protect individual property rights. The South felt as though its rights had been violated by attacks on slavery,” Kvach said.

The flag has come to represent the Confederacy, but at the time, Kvach said individual state flags would have been held in higher regard as southerners valued their state and identified themselves by what state they were from. In fact, most of its association with racism comes from its use in the 20th century, particularly during the Civil Rights movement when it was flown at the University of Mississippi during protests against integration of schools and its use in Ku Klux Klan rallies.

“The Confederate flag has become a racist symbol when used by people with the intent to divide. The flag can also be used or seen as a symbol of heritage and that is a legitimate use of the flag if used in a cemetery or on a monument to fallen solders,” Kvach said. “I would not go as far as to call the Confederate flag a symbol of freedom because it represent a society that saw blacks as subhuman and only good for forced labor.”  

Despite the Confederate flag being a symbol of the American south, it has gained popularity here in Canada. Attendees at Craven Country Jamboree flew the flag, a Hamilton, Ont., restaurant got criticism for displaying the flag, and a Saskatchewan man named Dale Pippin filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission because he feels the negative portrayal of the flag in the media discriminates against those who believe it’s a symbol of heritage. He is descended from Confederate soldiers in North Carolina.

“I’m a proud Canadian, who is a descendant of a Confederate soldier/family. I felt it is 150 years later and I’m in a free country. If the United States wants to again attempt to erase part of their history and lineage, I firmly believe we should not publicly participate in Canada,” Pippin said. “If the descendant of a Confederate soldier or family cannot honour history and lineage, then who else is not? How many generations should suffer for admitting to such a past? I hope that my efforts somewhat remind Canada why we’re Canadian, and that the flag finds better understanding and freedom here in Canada.”

It may seem counter-intuitive that a symbol of the American south is being flown in rural Canada, but to some without southern heritage, the flag is simply a symbol of a redneck culture.

“It’s a historic battle flag that happens to be part of my family’s lineage, and a positive symbol to many western Canadians as a reminder to have a free spirit,” Pippin said.

The debate shows no sign of slowing down, and with many narratives around the flag, it’s unlikely that there will ever be a definitive conclusion.

“The 19th century history of the flag is one of heritage and history because it did represent a cause,” Kvach said. “The 20th century history of the flag became the standard for a segregationist movement that championed hate, injustice, and division. It is important to recognize that these two histories exist.”