New York Times: Stacey Abrams burned Georgia's flag, which contained the Confederate battle flag design, in 1992 protest

In a statement to CNN, Abrams' campaign said that her actions in college were part of a "permitted, peaceful protest against the Confederate emblem in the flag."

Abrams, who would be the first black female governor in the country if elected, participated in the protest when she was a freshman at Spelman College in Atlanta, according to the paper. Her involvement in the protest came to light on social media, the Times said, just before Abrams is set to debate her Republican opponent, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, on Tuesday and two weeks before Georgians head to the polls to decide which candidate will govern the state.

At the time of the protest in 1992, the state's flag contained the Confederate battle flag emblem, which had been a prominent feature of the state flag since it was adopted in 1956, when the battle over desegregation was raging in the South. The Confederate battle flag emblem wasn't fully removed from the state's flag until 2003.

"During Stacey Abrams' college years, Georgia was at a crossroads, struggling with how to overcome racially divisive issues, including symbols of the Confederacy, the sharpest of which was the inclusion of the Confederate emblem in the Georgia state flag," the statement from Abrams's spokeswoman Abigail Collazo read. "This conversation was sweeping across Georgia as numerous organizations, prominent leaders, and students engaged in the ultimately successful effort to change the flag."

"Abrams' time in public service as deputy city attorney and as a state legislative leader have all been focused on bringing people together to solve problems."

The report cites an article published in June 1992 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that contains a photo of a young Abrams participating in the flag burning alongside students from neighboring colleges. "[The student protesters] said the Georgia flag symbolizes a brutal time in the history of African Americans, and they demanded that the Legislature restore the original Georgia flag: the state seal superimposed on a field of blue," the AJC article reads.

The Kemp campaign did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from CNN.com - RSS Channel kalo berita gak lengkap buka link disamping https://ift.tt/2PVbOCE