CHARLESTON, S.C. (WRIC) — NAACP National President Cornell Brooks says the Confederate flag has been used to represent racism and bigotry and believes even a little bit of that is a dangerous thing.
Like the nation, Dorothy Smith is still trying to come to terms with the massacre at Emanuel AME Church.
“It hurt me so bad,” she said. “Everybody needs help right now in Charleston.”
And she’s turning to the NAACP for guidance. Guidance that came in a passionate call from Brooks — demanding the Confederate flag be removed from South Carolina’s State Capitol following the shooting.
“As an inspiration of hate, as an inspiration for violence that symbol has to come down,” said Brooks. “People of all faiths, of all traditions, every hue, every heritage are quite simply shocked by this crime.”
Brooks is calling what happened an act of racial terrorism, which he says must be treated as such “until we address the underlying racial and inspiration of this crime — we missed the point.”
Brooks says that starts with reforming public policy and making sure everyone votes.
Brooks also says the organization will also be pushing for a hate crime law to be passed in the state.
