The history and meaning of the Confederate flag

Listen 00:48:45

Guest: Steven Hahn, Imani Perry, Schuyler Kropf

After the racially-motivated killing of nine people at a Charleston church, there have been mounting calls remove the Confederate flag from South Carolina statehouse and from other public and government buildings. A recent poll found that views on the flag differ sharply by race – 75% of Southern white’s see the flag as a symbol of Southern pride, while 75% of Southern American-Americans see it as a symbol of racism. Today, we’ll unwrap the history and meaning of the Confederate flag and look at the effort to take it down. Marty’s talks with STEVEN HAHN, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, IMANI PERRY, Professor at the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University, and SCHUYLER KROPF, reporter for the Charleston Post and Courier.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal