Alabama and Mississippi Honor Confederate Leader on MLK Day

On the third Monday of January, the U.S. observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the legacy of the civil rights leader. However, in Alabama and Mississippi, the day also commemorates Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general, creating a juxtaposition that has drawn criticism for decades.
Both King and Lee share January birthdays: King on January 15, 1929, and Lee on January 19, 1807. In the post-Civil War era, southern states established holidays to honor Confederate leaders. Alabama and Mississippi created holidays for Lee in 1901 and 1910, respectively.
When Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1983, these states combined it with Lee’s commemoration rather than creating a separate day. While other southern states have since separated or abolished Confederate-related holidays, Alabama and Mississippi remain the only ones to observe a joint holiday for King and Lee.
Black lawmakers in both states have made repeated efforts to separate the holidays, arguing that it disrespects King’s legacy to celebrate him alongside a Confederate general. Alabama State Rep. Kenyatté Hassell, a Democrat from Montgomery, described the pairing as “deeply offensive,” noting that Lee fought to preserve slavery while King championed equality and justice.
In 2023, Hassell introduced legislation to remove Lee from the January holiday, and another proposal sought to move Lee’s commemoration to October, aligning with the month of his death. In Mississippi, State Rep. Kabir Karriem introduced a bill to eliminate Lee’s recognition, emphasizing the need for holidays that reflect progress. However, none of these efforts have made it to a floor vote.
Alabama and Mississippi also observe two other Confederate-related holidays: Confederate Memorial Day in April and Jefferson Davis’s birthday in June. While other southern states, such as Louisiana and Virginia
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