Walmart (one of Fair360, formerly DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies) announced Monday night that it was pulling all Confederate-themed merchandise from its shelves, and by lunchtime Tuesday, the nation’s largest retailer was joined by Sears, eBay and Amazon in banning the Confederate flag and related products.
The controversial symbol, which has it roots as a battle flag representing slaveholding secessionist states, became even more toxic in the wake of the Charleston shooting last week when alleged white supremacist Dylann Roof, who idolized the flag, killed nine churchgoers in an attempt to spark a race war.
On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called on the state’s lawmakers to vote to remove the flag from Statehouse grounds, and a swell of state and national politicians calling for the same quickly followed.
