Most Americans view the Confederate flag as a symbol of Southern pride rather than one of racism, according to a new CNN poll. Fifty-seven percent of Americans said they see the flag as a sign of pride, about the same number as 15 years ago when 59 percent said the same.
CNN found that opinions were sharply divided by race, and among whites, views were divided by education, with more formally educated respondents being less likely to view the flag as a symbol of pride.
Seventy-two percent of the 303 African-American respondents said they see the Confederate flag as a racist symbol, while only 25 percent of whites agreed.
Among whites in the South, 75 percent said it is a symbol of pride and 18 percent called it racist. The figures are reversed among African-Americans in the South, with only 11 percent seeing it as sign of pride and 75 percent saying it's a racist symbol.
As for the educational divide, 51 percent of whites with a college degree said they see the flag as a symbol of pride, while 41 percent said racism. Contrast that with the 73 percent of whites with no college degree who said it's a sign of Southern pride and the 18 percent who said racism.
In the weeks since nine African-American's were killed by a white man with racist motives at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episocopal Church, there has been heated debate over whether to remove the flag or references to the Confederacy from public places, but CNN found that public opinion is mixed on that issue too.
Fifty-five percent said they favor removing the flag from all government property except for museums, while 43 percent were opposed. Among African-Americans, 73 percent favor removing flags from government property. Respondents were more divided on whether they would support private companies that decide not to sell Confederate flag merchandise: 50 percent to 47 percent.
Nonetheless, most do not want to see the flag redesigned, 57 percent; remove references to the Confederacy, 68 percent; or rename streets and highways named after Confederate leaders, 68 percent. Seventy-one percent oppose removing tributes to people who fought for the Confederacy from public grounds.
The poll was conducted with 1,017 adults between June 26 and 28, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
