The Confederate Flag: A Call to Burn and Bury with Angela Kinlaw and A Scribe Called Quess

11 minutes

Press Release of the Event:

To mark the 150th anniversary of the end of Civil War, activist group BYP100NOLA joined forces with artist John Sims’ project, The Confederate Flag: 13 Flag Funerals, a funeral/burial group performance in all of the 13 states connected to the 13 stars in the Confederate flag, on Memorial Day, May 25, 2015. These events were intended to create a space of ceremonial reflection on the desire for the death and burial of the Confederate flag as a symbol of terror, treason, and white supremacy, as well as a message that Black Lives Don’t Matter.

BYP100NOLA localized this event by conducting it at Lee Circle and addressing the problematic nature of the Robert E. Lee statue along with all symbols, signs and monuments to white supremacy in New Orleans.On July 4th, we will be conducting another flag funeral at Lee Circle preceded by a march. We are doing this in response to the recent killings in Charleston, South Carolina as well as Mayor Landrieu’s recent commitment to bring down the Robert E. Lee statue in time for the New Orleans Tri-centennial in 2018.

We are challenging the mayor and the city at large to remove these atrocities more quickly and to join the conversation around their removal that has been taking place for decades now. We are inviting all citizens of New Orleans to commit to immediate removal of all symbols of white supremacy NOW and not just when it’s politically advantageous or when a major tragedy occurs.The flag burial will be held in conjunction with people in all 50 states who have heeded John Sims’ invitation to extend the 13 Flag Funerals project country-wide in light of the recent events in Charleston, South Carolina. But BYP100 NOLA’s campaign to remove white supremacist monuments will continue until all of these monuments are removed.

The march will begin at 11am at the Canal Street Ferry Terminal. From there we will march up Convention Center Boulevard to Julia Street to Magazine Street to Andrew Higgins Dr. to Lee Circle. The burning will take place at 12 noon at Lee Circle and be accompanied by community voices, poetry, music and song on the issue along with a short breakout and discussion. We look forward to seeing you there.

Finally, BYP100 NOLA, John Sims Projects and the 13 Flags Funerals artists,poets, and activists extend heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who perished in South Carolina at the hands of someone created by American racism. Join us Saturday to help begin the end of white supremacist institutional racism and the countless victims that it creates.John Sims has, calling for the collective burning and burying of the Confederate flag on July 4th, 2015. All folks interested in this action are invited to do so as a group or an individual and to upload event photos and videos with #13flagfunerals.

Support the moveon.org petition to remove the Confederate flag, found here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/remove-the-confederate-3