Federal and state government operations will be closed throughout the nation on Monday in observance of the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
But in Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas, state workers will be off Monday for another day, too: the official observance of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee Day.
According to Alabama research archivist Norwood Kerr, the Alabama Legislature designated Lee’s birthday (Jan. 19) as a state holiday in an act passed March 1, 1901. A state law that passed Sept. 12, 1969, moved some state holidays from a specific day to Mondays, therefore changing the observance of Lee’s day from Jan. 19 to the third Monday in January.
In state legislation passed May 8, 1984, King’s birthday (Jan. 15) also became a state holiday to be celebrated on the third Monday.
The civil rights leader has since appeared to be recognized on that day far more than Lee, with commemorative marches and other celebrations expected throughout the state.
However, in addition to Lee’s birthday, the Confederate leader is observed on the state’s Confederate Memorial Day in April.
State Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, said an issue over whether the celebration of Lee’s and King’s birthdays on the same day was appropriate has not been addressed in recent years in the State House.
Jerry Hicks, a local commander for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said he would support celebrating Lee’s birthday on a different day because of the lack of interest it gains.
“(Lee) does get lost on the wayside,” he said. “We try to keep people from forgetting about our southern hero, but we’re not as active here as most people in the state.”
Barbara Shipmon, an advocate for education on King for elementary-aged children, said she believed both King and Lee should be recognized, but on two different days.
“For Alabama to celebrate two historical figures in the state on the same day just seems like too much,” she said. “But what’s more is that when you consider history, their legacies dictate two different times.”
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