Mississippi Flag, Jesse Jackson on ‘Black Pete’: Protest Wrap

(Bloomberg) -- Mississippi needs to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, Greg Sankey, said in a tweet, threatening to not hold championships in the state if no change is made. Meanwhile, U.S. civil rights leader Jesse Jackson asked Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to stop the use of the black-faced pre-Christmas character ‘Black Pete’, Reuters reported.

As the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction, a growing list of companies is reviewing brands deemed racist. Colgate-Palmolive Co. said it will overhaul its Darlie toothpaste brand in China, joining others under scrutiny like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben’s. The Bank of England said it will remove portraits of former governors tied to the slave trade, and the Church of England apologized for clergy who profited from it. In New York City, Council leaders called for the removal of a Thomas Jefferson statue from City Hall.

Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn will introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Morgan Stanley, Target and Uber are among dozens of firms recognizing the day. Airbnb said 20% of its board and management team will be people of color by the end of next year. Meanwhile, a lobbying group for more than 2,000 U.S. cities asked the federal government to help hasten police reform in the wake of the killings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks. Atlanta sought to reassure residents of their safety after several officers called out sick to protest a colleague being charged with murder for the death of Brooks, a 27-year-old black man.

Key Developments:

• Klobuchar Removes Herself From Contention as Biden Running Mate
• GOP’s Cornyn Backs Juneteenth as Federal Holiday, Boosting Odds
• BOE to Remove Portraits of Governors Linked to Slave Trade
• Ex-Cons Confront Labor Market That’s Likely to Leave Them Behind
• The Accidental Occupation of Seattle
• Some of Boston’s Highest-Paid Workers Are Police Officers
• Quotas Can Help Fix the Glaring Whiteness of America’s C-Suites

See more from Bloomberg QuickTake:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for the removal of four Confederate-linked portraits:

Many Black Americans face food insecurity:

Google and other companies taking steps to address racial inequities:

More on Juneteenth, the June 19 commemoration of the end of slavery:

Brooklyn’s Black Lives Matter street mural now a car-free zone:

Black Lives Matter protesters are seeking to remove statues associated with slavery and racism:

UN holds a moment of silence:

A top New York police officers speaks on the movement:

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