| Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tennis player Alexandra Stevenson thinks
speaking out against the Confederate flag is a more effective
tactic than honoring the NAACP's boycott of South Carolina.
"I think this could be resolved if more people came and shared
their thoughts," Stevenson said after meeting with Gov. Jim Hodges
to talk about the flag.
The flag represents "the oppression of many people" and it
should come down, said Stevenson, the daughter of basketball great
Julius Erving.
Stevenson is taking part in the Family Circle Cup. Last week,
Serena Williams withdrew from the Family Cup to support the
boycott.
The tournament, which began Monday on Hilton Head Island, also
lost top-ranked Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati because of
leg injuries.
South Carolina remains the only state to fly the flag above its
Statehouse, though the state Senate passed a compromise last week
to take it down and fly a similar square flag at the Confederate
soldier monument on Statehouse grounds. The House must also approve
that plan.
The move followed a tourism boycott of the state by the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It began Jan. 1
to force down the flag that has flown above the dome since 1962.
The NAACP says it is a hateful symbol. Flag supporters say it
represents the state's heritage.
"I decided to stand up and come to the tournament because I'm
coming in to do my job and also to have a voice," Stevenson said.
"To let people know what I think and people my age think."
The flag has become a worldwide issue, not just a topic among
tennis players contemplating whether to honor the boycott, she
said. South Carolina now is synonymous with the flag, not for
beaches or nice places to visit, she said.
"That alone is good enough reason to resolve this
controversy," Hodges said.
But the NAACP and some black lawmakers have rejected the
Senate-passed plan because the flag would be too visible. But
Hodges said the compromise is a "significant improvement."
The bill is expected to be considered Wednesday for the first
time in a House subcommittee. | |
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