|
The
Real Georgia Flag
 The
Second Georgia Flag was enacted in 1956. The new state banner kept the
vertical blue field and state coat of arms, but the Confederate Battle
Flag covered the remaining two thirds of the flag. Governor Griffin
signed the new flag into law on Feb. 13, 1956. It is often called “The
Real Georgia Flag”: its sudden loss in 2001, is considered a theft of the
legitimate , i.e. “real”, flag by some people.
The reasons
the flag was changed in 1956 are well-documented. Atlanta attorney John
Sammons Bell was Chairman of the Democratic Party. He was an ardent fan
of history and the confederate armies. The Civil War Centennial was
approaching, and Commissions and events to commemorate it were already
being set up.
A perfect
way to honor the event and confederate soldiers was to put the most famous
and loved symbol of southern heritage on the state flag. News stories
from the time all confirm this. The authors and other people
associated with the change have attested to the reasons numerous times.
The Atlanta Constitution called it “a beautiful flag” in a 1956
editorial.
The 1956
flag was a fitting banner for Georgia, It’s confederate emblem honored
and expressed pride in our heritage, even as the state embraced and
embarked on dramatic change and progress. It flew peacefully over
Georgia’s remarkable population and economic growth and progress for
almost five decades. Consider these:
We are now
the tenth largest state in the nation, and lead our region in many
fields. Every black kid who first walked into a white school or college
in Georgia walked in under the 1956 flag with its rebel emblem. All the
progress in the workplace, in race relations, in housing, in educational
opportunity occurred under the 1956 flag. “The Real Georgia Flag” is a
pretty good nickname for it.
Previous
Home
Next
Recommend this page to others, click
here
Notify me when new pages are added, click
here |
