Elementary students from Hudson Montessori School attended an Earth Week ceremony at Liberty State Park to witness the official raising of the new Mississippi state flag. The previous Mississippi flag bearing an emblem of the Confederacy was removed in 2019 from Freedom Way, an iconic section of Liberty State Park where all 50 state flags fly. It had been temporarily replaced with an American flag.
Hudson Montessori School students recited the Pledge of Allegiance as part of the program to officially commemorate the raising of the new flag. It was a moving experience for our students to witness firsthand New Jersey’s long-standing commitment to represent all people in our country with each state flag displayed at Liberty State Park, the “Gateway to America.”
Students heard commitments to equality, racial justice and hopeful sentiments for the future of our state and nation from a number of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) staff.
“Symbols send a powerful message,” said New Jersey Assemblymember Nicholas Chiaravalloti. “Today, the raising of the new flag of the state of Mississippi will hopefully send a message of equity and inclusion.”
NJDEP Deputy Commissioner Olivia Glenn acknowledged the pain the previous flag had represented and the importance of racial justice being a key part of environmental justice. “Liberty State Park is one of the nation’s great urban parks,” she said. “The previous Mississippi state flag was a symbol of division and oppression. The core of environmental justice is fair treatment of all people. As we celebrate Earth Week, we call on every resident to join us in committing to justice for all, harmony, understanding and acceptance – and to work together to make New Jersey’s communities stronger and fairer by better protecting the health and welfare of all of our residents.”
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