Mississippi honors two historical figures in January
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The third Monday in January honors and juxtaposes two historical figures.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is also Robert E. Lee Day in two states.
Mississippi made Lee Day a state holiday in 1910 to honor the Confederate general.
When the MLK Day became a federal holiday in 1983, different southern states, including Mississippi, opted to add it to the existing holiday, Robert E. Lee Day.
Mississippi and Alabama are the remaining states that recognize the dual holiday.
For years, Mississippi State Representative Kabir Karriem has been advocating to separate and acknowledge MLK Day as its own holiday.
The legislature to support it is House Bill 407.
“You have a man (MLK), who died for freedoms not just African Americans, but for all people. But then you are sharing a day with a man (R.E. LEE) who tried to uphold bondage and remnants of slavery. I just think it’s a contradiction, and Mississippi can do better,” said Karriem.
Karriem encourages residents to contact their representatives to bring the bill out of committee to get a full vote.
