NATCHEZ — A rally on Sunday afternoon will ask Natchezians to sign a petition to change the Mississippi Flag.

One Flag for All, a state-wide organization hoping to remove the Confederate imagery from the state flag, plans to hold a rally at 3 p.m. Sunday on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. and High streets.

The event will include free food and soft drinks and entertainment from local musicians and dancers.

The organization’s website says they hope to acquire 107,216 signatures statewide on a petition to bring flag-altering legislation to the floor of the Mississippi Legislature.

Local event organizer Jacqueline Marsaw attended one of the organization’s rallies in Jackson and invited the group to come to Natchez.

The group has held several similar events in cities across the state.

Marsaw has invited several local community leaders to speak at the event.

Former Natchez mayor and sitting school board member Phillip West said he would serve as master of ceremonies.

“The purpose is to try and help educate and rally support behind having a different flag than we have,” West said. “One representative of total community.”

Marsaw said other speakers include Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, local human rights advocate Ser Sesh ab-Heter C.M. Boxley, and Natchez resident Marsha Colson.

Colson said she has supported a change in the state flag since former Gov. William Winter’s 2001 attempt to tackle the issue.

“It’s better for us economically if we’re not perceived as being a backwards, racist state,” Colson said. “That’s the way people see us, unfortunately.”