Confederate Emblems ‘treason,’ Says Head Of Rights Group

Charles Steele Jr., national president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, says Confederate symbols represent “treason” and need to be removed from public spaces, including from the Mississippi state flag. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) By Emily Wagster Pettus Associated Press JACKSON – The national president of a civil-rights group says Confederate symbols represent “treason” and should be removed from public objects, including the Mississippi state flag. Charles Steele Jr., head of the Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said Wednesday at the Mississippi Capitol that Confederate names should disappear from streets and structures.