On Monday, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called on state lawmakers to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol. This was announcement comes just a week after Dylan Rood, a 21-year old white gunman allegedly shot nine black Christian worshippers at a bible study at Emanuel AME Church.
Roof was arrested on Thursday and charged with nine counts of murder and now both federal and state authorities are investigating the massacre as a hate crime and an act of terrorism. Roof was seen taking photos with Confederate paraphernalia as well as posted regularly on neo-nazi websites.
The confederate flag has flown at the state capital building in Columbia, South Carolina for a half century.
Many see the flag as representing slavery that has become a rallying symbol for racism and xenophobia in the United States.
Roof was arrested on Thursday and charged with nine counts of murder and now both federal and state authorities are investigating the massacre as a hate crime and an act of terrorism. Roof was seen taking photos with Confederate paraphernalia as well as posted regularly on neo-nazi websites.
The confederate flag has flown at the state capital building in Columbia, South Carolina for a half century.
Many see the flag as representing slavery that has become a rallying symbol for racism and xenophobia in the United States.
"It's time to move the flag from the capitol grounds," Haley, a Republican, told a news conference in the state capital, about 100 miles (161 km) from the shooting.
"The flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state."
 Credit: Martin Swant/AP | On Wednesday, Alabama removed it's Confederate Flag from the capital. Gov Robert Bentley ordered the flag to be removed from the capital in Montgomery Alabama. The growing backlash against Confederate paraphernalia is only increasing with even big retailers such as Walmart agreeing not to sell items. STORY DEVELOPING... |
Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal
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