(NewsWatch33) – Walmart, America’s largest retailer, vows to stop to selling of all Confederate flag merchandise from it’s stores.
The recent announcement is the latest addition that the Confederate flag, a symbol widely known for the states that supported the African Slave Trade, has become a notorious representation of racism in the aftermath of the shooting that took place last week in an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina, also gave a speech Monday regarding her support in the removal of the flag from capitol grounds.
Walmart.com and its stores currently carries the Confederate flag on apparel and other items such as cups, car decals, stickers and belt buckles.
“We never want to offend anyone with the products that we offer. We have taken steps to remove all items promoting the confederate flag from our assortment — whether in our stores or on our web site,” said Walmart spokesman Brian Nick. “We have a process in place to help lead us to the right decisions when it comes to the merchandise we sell. Still, at times, items make their way into our assortment improperly — this is one of those instances.”
New debates over the Confederate flag were sparked after a photo circulated on the internet of Dylann Roof, the alleged shooter of the incident in Charleston, South Carolina, causes intense emotions and outrage throughout Black America. Protestors and critics of the Confederate flag immediately reached out to South Carolina to remove the flag which remains widely viewed as a icon of hatred and racism.
Amazon.com and eBay.com also carries Confederate flag merchandise however neither company has responded to Walmart’s recent decision to remove the flag from their website and stores.
