A man shown holding a hat with a Confederate Flag sticker was posted on Okanagan College's website.
Image Credit: Okanagan College
November 28, 2021 - 2:43 PM
An image on the front page of Okanagan College's website containing a Confederate flag was removed shortly after it was brought to the attention of the public affairs office.
The image, highlighting the trades and apprenticeship program, showed a man holding a hard hat with a Confederate flag sticker.
The Southern Cross symbolized rebelliousness, said historian John M. Koski—but gained “a more specific connotation of resistance to the civil rights movement and to racial integration,” according to National Geographic.
Public affairs officer Tyler Lowry, with the college, said the image was completely unintentional and it was removed from the site as soon as he became aware of it.
“I recognize that’s a symbol that carries a great deal of emotional weight for people and obviously doesn’t reflect the values of the college,” he said.
READ MORE: Confederate flag removed from Kelowna Halloween display
“Our teams work very diligently to check our promotional imagery to ensure it reflects those values. In this case it wasn’t noticed and we regret that it was posted.”
Lowry said conversations will happen this week with the college’s digital team to discuss what steps can be put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
The image was published on Okanagan College homepage on Nov. 22 and was taken down Nov. 27, Lowry said.
READ MORE: Summerland’s mayor has clashed with store owner over Confederate flags before
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