The Washington National Cathedral says it will remove two images of the Confederate battle flag from the building's stained glass windows, classifying them a symbol of hatred and racial supremacy. The windows also honor Confederate generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
A five-person task force that examined the windows' symbolic power said the flags cannot remain on the cathedral's stained glass.
The Washington National Cathedral will be removing two images of the Confederate battle flag https://t.co/xhO2DtVxry pic.twitter.com/pZXiVdRZra
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 9, 2016
The task force cited recent events to justify their decision in their report.
"A young white man walked into the Wednesday night prayer service... he hated them because of their blackness... photos of the Confederate battle flag were found on the killer’s website... the Confederate battle flag serves as a symbol of racial hatred."
The Cathedral will begin a public dialogue on Sunday, July 17 to discuss “What the White Church Must Do.”