The current, official flag of the State of Mississippi.

(Creative Commons)

STATE FLAG

The official flag of the State of Mississippi was adopted on January 11th, 2021 after pressure from constituents to distance the state from the divisive and racist Confederate iconography of the past. In 2020, the Commision to Redesign the State Flag placed an open call for design proposals through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Over 2000 designs were submitted before the deadline. Ultimately, "The New Magnolia" flag was chosen and approved by a referendum that passed by a 72.98% to 27.02% margin on November 3, 2020.

"The New Magnolia" is a red flag with a wide blue stripe down the center. The vertical edges of the blue stripe are bordered with gold bars. In the center of the blue one can see an image of the State flower, the magnolia, surrounded by 20 white stars. The stars represent Mississippi's position as the 20th state to join the Union. The uppermost star is gold and split into five diamonds, a nod to the indigenous peoples who call this region home.

Watercolor painting of the Mississippi Coat of Arms, as seen in the Mississippi State Capitol building, created by Amy Moe-Hoffman as part of the Bicentennial celebration of Mississippi.

Dunn-Seiler Museum Collection

STATE COAT OF ARMS

Though the Coat of Arms was was designed in 1894 and used as the state seal after that time, the design wasn't formally adopted as the official seal until 2001. This watercolor painting is a likeness of the seal that hangs in the Capitol Building in Jackson, Mississippi. The seal is inscribed with the Latin phrase "Virtute et Armis," which means "By Valor and Arms."