Bree Newsome on removing the Confederate flag: 'I did it because I am free'

Bree Newsome‘s actions on Saturday spoke louder than words ever could. But just in case her message wasn’t clear, she has released a statement explaining why she took down the Confederate flag flying outside the Columbia, S.C., State House.

In a statement published by Blue Nation Review, Newsome writes that the “stars and bars” have long been the banner of white supremacy in America. That racist ideology has infiltrated our politics and our culture, she says, and non-white people—like the nine people who were shot and killed in Charleston two weeks ago—have suffered as a result.

She also offers up an anti-racist Southern heritage worth embracing in the Confederacy’s absence, explains how she pulled off this difficult feat, and thanks those who contributed funds to cover her legal expenses.

In closing, Newsome writes: “It is important to remember that our struggle doesn’t end when the flag comes down. The Confederacy is a southern thing, but white supremacy is not.”