10 Most Controversial Flags

The Confederate Flag:

The Confederate battle flag, also called the Southern Cross, Dixie Flag, Stars and Bars, or The Rebel Flag, has been described as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. Earlier, many Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with America and state flags over their statehouses. Others integrated the controversial symbol into the design of their state flags. The display of the Confederate flag remains an extremely controversial and emotional topic, usually because of disagreement over the nature of its symbolism. As a result of these varying opinions, there have been many political controversies surrounding the use of the Confederate flag in Southern state flags, at sporting events, at Southern universities, and on public buildings.

As per Civil War historian and native Southerner Shelby Foote, the flag traditionally represented the South’s resistance to Northern political dominance; it became racially charged during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, when fighting against unification had suddenly become the central point of that resistance.