A black college student, Byron Thomas, has won the right to display the Confederate flag in his dorm room window after officials at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort initially asked the student to remove the offensive symbol.
In late November, Thomas, a freshman at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort (USCB), was asked to remove the flag from his dorm window after parents and students complained. Thomas refused, and launched a media campaign via CNN iReport to fight for his right to display the controversial flag.
On Thursday, school officials reversed their decision, telling Thomas he could display the flag.
Many, if not most Americans, find the Confederate battle flag an obnoxious reminder of the pernicious Southern effort to preserve slavery during the Civil War. Historically the flag has been associated with and served as a banner for white supremacists and segregationists. The flag is well known as a banner under which racists have gathered and continue to gather to promote their hatred and ignorance.
What makes this story unusual is that a young black man is promoting and defending the flag. One wonders if a white student would be granted the same privilege.
The issue demonstrates a tension between First Amendment rights to free speech and the ugly specter of hate speech. There is no question that the Confederate battle flag is a symbol of pain and misery for generations of African Americans. And there is no question that the flag has been and continues to be used as a banner under which racists rally.
What do you think about a black man proudly displaying the Confederate battle flag?
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