SC Chamber: Moving Confederate Flag Good for Business
July 6, 2015
After the tragic events of June 17 at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, calls began for the removal of the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s State House grounds. Governor Nikki Haley took the lead and a strong stand, urging the General Assembly to act swiftly. The business community supports the governor’s call for action.
“We join Governor Nikki Haley in calling for the state legislature to act in an expeditious manner. The business community of South Carolina expects the General Assembly to deal with this issue,” said Ted Pitts, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber. “The South Carolina Chamber mourns for those affected by the tragedy in Charleston, and we commend South Carolinians for responding with grace and unity. South Carolina is a great place to live, work and do business. This effort will only make it better.”
In 1999-2000, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce led the effort in support of removing the Confederate flag from the State House dome. The business community got involved then for the same reason the Chamber supports the call for action today. Simply, it is the right thing to do for our state and its people. It’s also the right thing to do for business.
Removing the Confederate flag from the State House grounds is good for business for several reasons:
•It supports investment and job creation opportunities.
•It expands market opportunities for South Carolina goods and services.
•It helps attract a diverse and talented workforce.
•It enhances tourism opportunities.
•It moves all of South Carolina businesses forward.
As we move onward as a state in the wake of this senseless tragedy, the business community urges the General Assembly to address the issue of moving the Confederate flag from the State House grounds to a more appropriate location when they return to Columbia July 6.
South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is South Carolina’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association. As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is a catalyst for increasing wealth and enhancing the state’s global competitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians.
