Final answer:
Oregon is the state with a flag featuring different designs on each side, but the discussion provided is about the recent redesign of Mississippi's flag in January 2021, which followed societal pressures and removed Confederate emblems, now symbolizing a new era for the state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The state that is the only one with a different design on each side of its flag is Oregon. However, your question seems to be referring to Mississippi, which had a new flag design take effect in January 2021. This new flag's design features a central vertical band of blue, flanked by thin gold bands and encompassed by broader red bands. The central symbol is a magnolia flower adorned by a single gold star and surrounded by 20 white ones, which indicates Mississippi becoming the 20th state in the Union. The flag also includes the words "In God We Trust".
Mississippi's flag redesign in 2021 followed immense societal pressure and the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, as the old flag, adopted in 1894, contained the Confederate battle flag and represented a history of racism and segregation.
When comparing the symbolism of state flags, it is important to consider the variety in meaning and significance, such as how Alaska's flag, created from a citizen's design competition won by a 13-year-old boy, represents the Big Dipper and Polaris. In contrast, the recent redesign of Mississippi's flag was intended to reflect the state's positive contributions like art, music, and literature, and honor its indigenous population without referencing its seditious past.