Mississippi voters approved a new flag on Tuesday, replacing one that prominently featured a Confederate battle emblem.
The new flag features a magnolia ― the state flower ― along with 20 white stars, a nod to Mississippi being the 20th state to enter the union.
It also has a single gold star at the top representing the indigenous tribes, along with the legend “In God We Trust” below the magnolia:
Mississippi lawmakers voted over the summer to remove the state’s previous flag, in use since 1894, amid growing calls for racial justice and the removal of Confederate and white supremacist symbols.
The guidelines for the new flag required the legend “In God We Trust.”
Rocky Vaughan, who designed the new magnolia flag, said in September he hoped the new design would help give the state a positive image.
“The New Magnolia Flag represents the warmth and strength of the good people of Mississippi,” he said in a statement cited by The Hill. “Now is the time we show the world that we’re from Mississippi, the Magnolia State.”
He celebrated the vote on social media:
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