In the latest chapter of celebrating cough ‘southern heritage’, four confederate flags were left on the grounds of Atlanta, Georgia’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Thursday. A groundskeeper made the discovery around 6 a.m. and alerted the National Park Service. No one saw who placed the flags on the grounds, but there was one surveillance camera that authorities are currently reviewing.
Reverend Raphael Warnock told the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that is was ironic that this occurred the same day as he and other clergy had gathered to discuss racism and the mass incarceration of black men. Warnock also said, ‘ Let the message go out that we will not be shaken by this…This is a terrorist act’.
The Ebenezer Baptist Church was home to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr as he preached there and one of the most notable and important monuments in the history of the civil rights movement. It was an act that was calculated and disrespectful on a variety of levels.
For a flag that is not about hate or race it sure has been used as that tool an awful lot. The Confederate flag is a symbol of cowardice and the person or people who did this are despicable. It is a shame that this is something that has to be dealt with in 2015 but it is a harsh reality. A continuous reminder of racism that this nation needs to own and face itself with.
Follow us on twitter@hiphopenquirer
