Alabama clergy are calling for an end to the state’s observance of three Confederate holidays, arguing they are rooted in racism and division.
Dozens of members of the activist group Faith in Action Alabama gathered outside the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery earlier this week, rallying in protest of a trio of Alabama holidays honoring members of the Confederacy, which existed from 1861-1865.
Alabama is just one of five states that officially observe holidays in honor of the Confederacy; the others include Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. A handful of other southern states recognize Confederate holidays, but don’t officially observe them.
Now, interfaith activists say enough is enough, and are calling on the state to abolish the divisive holidays once and for all.
What Confederate Holidays Does Alabama Celebrate?
The protest was held during the state’s observance of Confederate Memorial Day on April 27. Confederate Memorial Day is the most widely-observed Confederate holiday in the south, but Alabama also celebrates two other holidays in honor of Confederate president Jefferson Davis and Confederate general Robert E. Lee – neither of whom were born in Alabama.
Confederate Memorial Day – Last Monday in April
Alabama formally adopted Confederate Memorial Day in 1901.
The holiday was originally suggested by Confederate widows in 1866, and first adopted by Georgia in 1874.
Robert E. Lee’s Birthday – Third Monday in January
Alabama lawmakers adopted Robert E. Lee’s birthday as a state holiday in 1901, and later combined it with the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. In Alabama, the two holidays are celebrated on the same day, a pairing which has drawn criticism for decades.
Jefferson Davis’ Birthday – First Monday in June
Alabama is just one of two states which still honors the birthday of Jefferson Davis, a number that has steadily declined from six states in the early 20th century.
Faith in Action
Dozens of members of the interfaith clergy activist group Faith in Action traveled from all over the state, gathering in Montgomery to formally call for an end to the state’s observance of holidays which they say reflect “a past rooted in slavery and division.”
"I'm here today because Alabama is one of the states that still celebrates Confederate holidays," explained Rev. Deanne Ford of Crosscreek Baptist Church at the Faith in Action protest in Montgomery.
"There's a better story we can be telling. The story of the Confederacy is a story of division, but we have so much we can celebrate. Resiliency, unity, community, we can come together and love our neighbors and celebrating a holiday that divides is not loving our neighbor."
"We are standing here intentionally at the first White House of the Confederacy because this place represents a painful history that continues to impact our present," added Imam Mikal Sabree of the Muslim Center of Montgomery. “We must ask ourselves, what does it say about us if we continue to celebrate holidays rooted in division and oppression?"
Is the Past the Past?
Southern politicians have been trying to get Confederate holidays taken off the books for decades, with increasing frequency in the last ten years, to little avail. Even compromise attempts – such as separating Robert E. Lee Day from the shared observance with Martin Luther King Jr. Day – routinely fail to make it out of committee.
In fact, defenders of Confederate celebrations have only dug their heels in against opposition; Just last year, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves declared April Confederate Heritage Month.
With that in mind, it seems unlikely that this protest will lead to immediate legislative action – but it does force a broader (and perhaps uncomfortable) conversation out into the open.
What do you make of these protests? Can a celebration of the Confederacy truly be separated from its support for slavery, or is it time to retire them?
2 comments
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Robert James Ruhnke
Good. The confederacy needs to be a chapter we move on from as a nation. It was a disgusting and tragic part of our history. These holidays need to go.
What the ever-lovin'!? It's racist, pure and simple. Even if folks think it's just a celebration of "Southern Heritage" (which I've heard about Dixie and the Confederate flag!), those origins are very much rooted in racism. To have Lee's birthday and King's birthday celebrated at the same time is really not getting the message. Or it's getting the message and choosing to be deliberately disrespectful of both me.
And yet, as I type this, I can see a Confederate memorial day as a day to acknowledge those men who fought and died by the thousands in the conflict. Many of them were not the men trying to hold on to their slaves - they were just common men with no choice but to go and try not to die. They should be remembered as sacrifices to a way of life that was unsustainable and rooted in the evil of subjugating those who were different. But I doubt that's how it's done. No atonement here in the U. S. of A.