This year marks 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg
From July 1 – 3, 1863, the armies of the United States of America and the Confederate States of America faced off in an epic battle in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that largely decided the Civil War for the Union. Today Gettysburg is a National Battlefield Park dedicated to preserving the memory of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who fought on both sides of that battle. To date, Gettysburg was the largest battle ever fought in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Over 10,000 men were killed or mortally wounded, over 30,000 were wounded, and another 30,000 were captured or were missing. In 1863, Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant besieged a Confederate army at Vicksburg on the Mississippi River. The fall of Vicksburg would give the Union unfettered control of the vital Mississippi River and effectively divide the Confederacy in half. General Robert E. Lee, seeking both a victory and an opportunity for his hungry and poorly equipped Confederate Army to live off the land of the North, took his Army of Northern Virginia north into Pennsylvania. Lee was uncharacteristically left blind by Confederate Cavalry under General Jeb Stuart, whom Lee thought would keep him abreast of Union troop movement. Instead, Stuart took the Confederate Cavalry raiding. Unbeknownst to Lee, his army’s drive north had been shadowed by the Union’s Army of the Potomac, and the two were about to collide. President Abraham Lincoln had only recently promoted General George Meade to command the Army of the Potomac. Lee had given Confederate Major General Henry Heth strict orders not to engage any Union forces. On July 1, 1863, ostensibly seeking shoes for his men, Heth took an entire division towards Gettysburg for what was essentially a reconnaissance in force. He did not realize that doing so would have enormous consequences. Outside of town, they encountered Union Brigadier General John Buford’s cavalry dismounted, maintaining a line of defense outside of the town of Gettysburg. Believing they could easily push aside the smaller force and not knowing that the full Army of the Potomac was so close by, Heth attacked. Buford realized the importance of the moment and sought to hold it for as long as possible. He was soon reinforced by Union Major General John Reynolds’ Corps. Reynolds repulsed Heth’s attack, though it cost him his life. More Union and Confederate forces arrived on the battlefield, and things rapidly escalated that first day. Meade then put Major General Winfield Scott Hancock in command of the forward elements of the Army of the Potomac in the place of the fallen Reynolds. At Hancock’s urging, Meade committed his full force. Perhaps over-eager to win a crushing victory over the Union, Lee ordered an all-out attack, committing his full Army of Northern Virginia. From almost immediately following the battle to the present day, military historians debate the decisions made by commanders in those three days. If Lt. General Dick Ewell had attacked with more vigor and taken Cemetery Ridge, if the Confederates had committed more forces to the assault on Little Round Top, if Lt. General James Longstreet had hit harder on Day 2, could the Confederates have won? If the South had prevailed, what does the world look like today? While the battle was a Union victory, Lincoln was terribly disappointed that Meade did not pursue Lee and crush the Army of Northern Virginia. Could the war have ended in July 1863 rather than dragging on for two more years? Meade’s defenders argue that if he had pursued Lee, then Lee could have turned the tables in the rematch. Those questions will never be decisively answered. What we are left with is that thousands of Americans, including many Alabamians, fought on that field 160 years ago, and their memory will not be forgotten. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Americans celebrate Juneteenth, nation’s newest federal holiday
President Joe Biden signed legislation two years ago making Juneteenth, or June 19, our newest federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery. For the third year in a row, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has authorized state employees to also take the day off since it’s designated at the federal level. Post offices, government buildings, courthouses, and many schools will be closed today. Most private businesses will be open, but there are exceptions, so call first before making plans. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas — two months after the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia had surrendered. That was also about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states. Since Texas was not a major area of operations for the invading Union Army, Texas slaves had not been informed that they were free until the invasion of Texas in the closing days of the war. Slavery was formally abolished in all of the United States with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on December 6, 1865. Observed on June 19, Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and commemorates the day that the news of its abolition reached slaves in Galveston, Texas, in 1965. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day. The bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday passed unanimously in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and was signed into law by President Biden. “Juneteenth is, above all, a celebration of Black freedom,” said Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07). “It is long past time for the federal government to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday,” Sewell said when the legislation was passed into law. “I was so proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation and even prouder to cast my vote for it today. Black Americans have continued to face systemic racism since we were recognized as full citizens more than 100 years ago. While this is a significant and symbolic step, we must fully grapple with the injustices of our country’s history, including the continued assault on Black Americans’ right to vote, before achieving true justice. Now is a time to recommit ourselves to that critical work and see to it that our Nation lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.” The Confederate government of Texas did not announce to slaves that the Union had freed them. Following General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, and General Joseph Johnston’s surrender on April 26 (celebrated annually to this day in Alabama as Confederate Memorial Day), the Union turned its attention to the remaining Confederates in Texas. Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi division, did not agree to surrender his army until May 26, 1865, when his second in command agreed to terms in negotiations in New Orleans. Smith’s army in Galveston did not lay down their arms until June 2. Gen. Kirby Smith fled the country to Mexico and then Cuba. He returned to Virginia in November 1865 to sign an amnesty oath. The Union transported an entire army to Texas to occupy the state. It was only on June 19, 1865, that most Texas slaves learned that they had been freed. “To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of — original sin of slavery,” said President Biden. “To understand the war [that] was never fought over it — it wasn’t just about a Union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom.” “To remember the Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t just a document. It captured the essence of freedom that galvanized the country. It proved that some ideas are more powerful; they can’t be denied,” Biden continued. “It’s a reminder that the promise of America is we all are created equal in the image of God, and we deserve to be treated equally throughout our entire lives. We’re the most unique country in Amer- — in the world. Other countries are founded based on faith, on ethnicity, on other things — religion. But we — we are founded on an idea. An idea unlike any other country in the world, that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we’ve never walked away from it either. On our best days, enough of us have the guts and the heart to stand up for the best in us. It matters. It really matters.” “Juneteenth, as a federal holiday, is meant to breathe new life into the very essence of America — to make sure all Americans feel the power of this day and the progress we can make as a country; to choose love over hate, unity over disunion, and progress over retreat,” Biden continued. Choosing to remember history, not erase it; to read books, not ban them — no matter how hard some people try. That’s what’s great about it. That’s what great nations do. And we’re a great nation.” The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a good venue for families to learn about the history of slavery and civil rights. BCRI celebrated Juneteenth on Saturday with performers and a cookout, but usually, BCRI is closed on Mondays. For most Alabamians, this is a festive time of year with many holidays. The unofficial start of Summer begins in late May with Memorial Day. Two weeks ago, state employees got another three-day weekend celebrating Jefferson Davis’s birthday. Now federal and state workers have today off for Juneteenth. The Fourth of July, the Independence Day holiday, is just two weeks away. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama and Mississippi mark Confederate Memorial Day
Alabama and Mississippi closed most government offices Monday for Confederate Memorial Day as efforts have stalled to abolish state holidays that honor the old Confederacy. Legislation has been introduced in the ongoing Alabama legislative session to remove, alter or rename Confederate-related holidays, but the effort has so far gained little traction. Camille Bennett, the founder of Project Say Something, an organization that has worked for the removal of Confederate monuments in Alabama, said the determination to keep Confederate holidays comes at the same time Alabama lawmakers push legislation banning so called “divisive concepts” from being taught in state classrooms and diversity training for state workers. “On one side, you have white conservative men defining what divisive is and what it means. … At the same time, you are honoring the Confederacy, which in itself is a divisive concept. It’s really hypocritical, quite tone deaf,” Bennett said. An Alabama Senate committee last week rejected a proposal to separate the joint state holiday celebrating Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and slain civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the same day. “We’re trying to separate the holidays of two men whose ideologies were totally separate, from one end of the totem pole to the other. One believed in justice and fairness for all, and another believed in slavery,” state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures said. Figures’ bill would have kept Lee’s holiday but moved it to Columbus Day in October. “Whoever wants to honor either man will have their own day,” she said. The vote split along racial lines, Figures said at the end of the meeting, with white Republicans voting against it and Black Democrats voting for it. Several Southern states have ended or renamed Confederate holidays. Louisiana, in 2022, removed Robert E. Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day from the list of state holidays. Georgia, in 2015, renamed Confederate Memorial Day to “State Holiday.” Arkansas, in 2017, ended the practice of commemorating Lee and King on the same day. Mississippi Public Broadcasting on Monday had historians read Mississippi’s secession declaration, which makes clear that slavery was the central issue. Mary Jane Meadows, a member of the North Mississippi chapter of the Indivisible advocacy group, told Mississippi Public Broadcasting that the group protested Confederate Memorial Day last year and planned to do the same for 2023. “That means that 25,000 or more state employees have a day off with pay courtesy of the Mississippi taxpayers, 39% of whom are Black persons who are voters and taxpayers,” Meadows said. Some government offices in Mississippi remained open Monday, including courts in majority-Black Hinds County. Bennett said she believes the continued recognition of Confederate holidays “speaks to the blatant disregard of the humanity of Black Alabamians.” “We experienced a Holocaust, right. We experienced our families being ripped apart, and there is a celebration saying, ‘We wish things could have stayed the same,’ ” Bennett said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Senate Committee rejects effort to move Robert E. Lee holiday to October
On Wednesday, the Senate Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development (FRED) Committee rejected a bill that would have moved the celebration of the Robert E. Lee holiday to the second Monday in October. The legislation would have moved the Robert E. Lee state holiday from its current position on the calendar – the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday in January – to the Columbus Day holiday in October. Senate Bill 130 (SB130) was sponsored by State Senator Vivian Figures. “I brought this bipartisan bill two years ago along with the late Representative Steve McMillan,” Figures said. “We and Mississippi are the only two states that celebrate both of these men on the same day.” “We can’t move the Martin Luther King Holiday because it is a federal holiday,” Figures explained. “October was the time of his (Lee’s) death.” Figures said that Lee was indicted for treason by a grand jury, owned slaves, had slaves whipped, broke up slave families, and led an army that enslaved free Black people and killed African American federal troops who tried to surrender. Figures said that advancing her legislation would benefit the state’s image and boost the economy. A public hearing had been called on SB130, but the people asked to come to the Committee and speak against the bill were not present. The Committee voted not to give a favorable report to SB130 by a voice vote. Following the vote, Figures asked for a roll call vote. Chairman Garlan Gudger told Sen. Figures, “No, you may not.” “I want the record to show that the African-American women voted for the bill, and all of the White Republican men and the White Republican woman voted no,” Figures said. “I am disappointed, but I am not surprised,” Figures told reporters after the vote by the Committee. This is the third year the Legislature has refused to advance this legislation. Figures was not optimistic that the bill would pass next year. “I see the writing on the wall,” Figures said. “Somebody or something is putting pressure on them because even members I thought would support it didn’t.” Alabama Today asked why not move the holiday back a week so that King has a weekend and Lee has his own weekend closer to his actual birthday. “The state doesn’t want that – that costs money,” Figures said. “They don’t want another state employee holiday.” Alabama Today asked why not move it to June and celebrate it on the same days as Jefferson Davis’s birthday. “I wanted a day with a connection to Lee,” Figures said. “He died on October 12.” Figures was asked why not just eliminate the celebration of Robert E. Lee Day. “That definitely won’t pass,” Figures said. Lee, the former Commandant at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a veteran of the War with Mexico was a Colonel in the U.S. Army who resigned his commission when his native State of Virginia voted to secede from the Union. Lee then accepted a command as a general in the Confederate States of America in 1861. Lee would become a military history legend in command of the CSA’s Army of Northern Virginia. Following the Civil War, he was President of the College now known as Washington and Lee University. Lee has been admired by Americans, particularly Southerners, for over 150 years. Alabama has celebrated the life of the beloved Confederate General with a state holiday for over a hundred years. Martin Luther King was a Montgomery Pastor who was the acknowledged leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement. He led the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery after the first march was beaten by State Troopers and the Birmingham civil rights protests while preaching non-violence. King is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and is noted for his speeches and writings, including “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and his “I Have a Dream Speech.” King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill making King’s birthday a national holiday. When King’s birthday became a holiday, the Alabama Legislature moved the already existing Robert E. Lee holiday to the same day as the King holiday. Wednesday was the 12th legislative day of the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
372 bills have been filed in Alabama legislative session
Only four legislative days have passed in the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session, but already 372 bills have been filed by legislators. Alabama Today has worked on writing about as many of these as possible so that our readers stay informed on issues before the Alabama Legislature. Two hundred bills were filed in the last week alone. Below is a short recap of 15 of these. Senate Bill 143 (SB143) by State Senator Will Barfoot targets youth gangs. The legislation seeks to identify members of criminal gangs. SB143 would enhance penalties for any criminal activity that benefits, promotes, or furthers the interest of a gang. The bill would establish mandatory consecutive penalties for any individual who knowingly possesses, uses, or carries a firearm during the commission of any act intended to benefit, promote, or further the interest of a gang. This bill would require any juvenile 16 or older to be tried as an adult for any gang-related criminal activity. State Representative Allen Treadaway has introduced similar legislation in the House – HB191. House Bill 217 (HB217) is sponsored by State Rep. Anthony Daniels. It would exempt overtime from state income taxes and a substantial tax cut for many hardworking hourly workers. Under existing law, gross income is defined for state income tax. Also, the existing law exempts certain amounts from the calculation of gross income. This bill would exclude work performed in excess of 40 hours in any week from being included in the gross income calculation. Daniels, the House Minority Leader, has some powerful cosponsors on this legislation, which has just dropped, including Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter and education fund budget Chairman Danny Garrett. Sen. Sam Givhan has introduced similar legislation in the Senate – SB137. House Bill 115 (HB115) by Rep. Danny Garrett would lower the top state income tax rate. Under existing law, Alabama levies an individual income tax at rates ranging from two percent on taxable income to a top rate of five percent on taxable income. This bill would phase in a reduction in the top tax rate from five percent to four and ninety-five hundredths percent. House Bill 181 (HB181) by Rep. Mack Butler would prohibit financial institutions from disclosing certain customer financial records of firearms transactions. HB181 would allow the Department of Finance to disqualify a financial institution from any selection process for state contracts for violation of this prohibition and to provide civil penalties and criminal penalties for violation of the act. Butler told Alabama Today that he did not believe that credit card companies need to be tracking customers’ gun and ammunition purchases. “That’s too much information for the credit card companies or the government to have,” said Butler. “The Sons of liberty would have had a big problem with that.” Senate Bill 144 (SB144) by Barfoot would address the shortage of judges by creating three additional circuit judgeships and two additional district judgeships to be funded out of the State General Fund in Fiscal Year 2024. House Bill 209 (HB209) by Rep. Jamie Kiel would effectively outlaw ballot harvesting in Alabama. This bill would prohibit any person from distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of another person in certain circumstances and would provide for exceptions. This bill would prohibit any person from receiving a payment or providing payment to another person for distributing, ordering, requesting, collecting, completing, obtaining, or delivering an absentee ballot application or absentee ballot of another person in certain circumstances. This bill would also establish criminal penalties for violations. HB209 already has 42 House cosponsors. Senate Bill 141 (SB141) by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison lowers the crime of chemical endangerment of a child to a misdemeanor under some circumstances. Under existing law, a person commits the crime of chemical endangerment of a child if the child is exposed to a controlled substance, chemical substance, or drug paraphernalia. A violation is a Class C felony. This bill would provide that chemical endangerment of a child where the child is exposed to marijuana or drug paraphernalia is a Class A misdemeanor. This bill would also provide that a confirmatory positive drug test must be obtained before an agency or law enforcement initiates any action for a violation. Senate Bill 127 (SB127), sponsored by Sen. Merika Coleman, would expand the statute of limitations on civil suits for alleged sexual misconduct, and it would be retroactive. Under existing law, a civil action for an injury to an individual that involves certain sex offenses must be brought within six years. This bill would expand the statute of limitations for certain sex offenses. Senate Bill 130 (SB130), sponsored by Sen. Vivian Figures, would move the official state celebration of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s birthday as a state holiday observed on the third Monday in January to the second Monday in October. Currently, the state celebrates Robert E. Lee’s birthday on the same day as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. SB130 would move Robert E. Lee’s birthday to Columbus Day, so Robert E Lee Day would remain a state holiday but would not add a new state holiday. House Bill 187 (HB187), sponsored by Rep. Chip Brown, would require parental or guardian’s consent for a minor to get a vaccine. Under existing law, a minor 14 years of age or older may give consent for medical, dental, and mental health services for themselves without parental consent. HB187 would require consent of a parent or a legal guardian for any minor to receive a vaccination. This became an issue during the recent COVID-19 global pandemic. House Bill 186 (HB186), also by Brown, would allow a parent to opt their child out of any school policy requiring students to wear a face covering at school, at a school function, a school bus, or at a school bus stop. Many parents were upset that their schools required face masks during the pandemic. House Bill 182 (HB182), sponsored by Rep. Traci Estes, would expand the definition of a dependent to include an unborn child. Under current law, taxpayers are allowed a dependent exemption for a son or daughter for
Alabama leaders celebrate Martin Luther King Day
Today is a national and state holiday honoring the Civil Rights Movement icon, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Banks, government offices, post offices, most schools, and many businesses will be closed today in observance of the holiday. King was born in Atlanta on October 15, 1929. In 1955 he was the new pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church just a block from Alabama Capitol Building in Montgomery. King ignited the Civil Rights Movement when Rosa Parks was arrested for failing to surrender her seat to a White man on a Montgomery bus – then the law in Montgomery and many southern cities. King responded to Parks’ arrest by launching the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black people, at the urging of King and the NAACP, refused to ride the buses, bringing the bus system to its knees. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that government buses could not discriminate on the basis of race. The Montgomery Bus Boycott made King a national celebrity. He and like-minded Black ministers formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to urge non-violent protest to fight discrimination and for social justice. King was the SCLC’s first president. When Alabama State Troopers attacked voting rights marchers in Selma, King went to Selma and led a new march that went all the way to Montgomery, protesting for voting rights. He was beaten, jailed, and his life threatened repeatedly for his bold activism. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in the United States and the Jim Crow laws that had been on the books for generations in southern states. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for his work. He was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. He was only 39. King’s “I have a Dream” speech that he made at the Civil Rights March in Washington D.C., was highly influential at the time and is quoted frequently today. King Jr. is easily the most well-known and celebrated civil rights leader in American history, though many people were involved in the movement. President Ronald Reagan signed legislation making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday. On Monday, at 1:00 p.m. CST, Congresswoman Terri Sewell will host a “TerriTalks” virtual discussion entitled “Carrying the Torch Forward: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” Sewell will be joined by King’s son, global human rights activist Martin Luther King III. The conversation will focus on the legacy of Dr. King and the struggle for racial equality and voting rights that continues to this day. It will be streamed live on Sewell’s official Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages. Sewell is the first Black woman to represent Alabama in the United States Congress. There are a number of prayers, breakfasts, and other events today across the state honoring Dr. King and his legacy. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is hosting a whole day of activities beginning at 10:00 am CST. Visit their website for more information or to buy tickets. Alabama celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Robert E. Lee Day on the same day. Lee, a noted Confederate general, was born on January 19. This angers some in the civil rights movement. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Today is Robert E. Lee Day
Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s birthday is on January 19, but it is celebrated by the State of Alabama today. Robert E. Lee Day has been an official state holiday in Alabama since sometime in the late 1800s. Lee was the most renowned general of the Confederacy in the Civil War. Today is an official state holiday. State offices and most schools will be closed in observance of the holiday. Federal offices, post offices, and many businesses will also be closed, but that is because today is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Alabama and Mississippi merged its Lee celebration with MLK Day after President Ronald Reagan signed legislation, making it a national holiday. Some state legislators have advocated for dropping Robert E. Lee Day from the list of official holidays and making the holiday observance for Dr. King alone. That legislation has not advanced in past legislative sessions. Robert Edward Lee was the son of Revolutionary War hero General Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee. Lee was born in Stratford Hall, Virginia, in 1807. His father was a hero, a governor of Virginia, and the dignitary was chosen to write the eulogy for President George Washington. By young Robert’s birth, the Lee’s fortunes had turned sour, and Light Horse Harry served time in debtor’s prison. The older Lee’s health declined, and he passed away in the West Indies without ever getting to know his young son. Robert received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated second in the class of 1829. Lee married Mary Anna Randolph Custis. Lee spent most of his early military career as an engineer, where he supervised and inspected the construction of the nation’s coastal defenses. During the Mexico-American War, Lee served on the staff of General Winfield Scott. Lee distinguished himself in that war and became a colonel. He was the Superintendent of West Point from 1852 to 1855. He then took command of the cavalry. In 1859 he crushed abolitionist John Brown’s attempted insurrection at Harpers Ferry. President Abraham Lincoln offered Lee the command of the Union Army being assembled to invade the South. Lee declined and resigned from the army when Virginia seceded. The Confederacy made Lee a general. His first military engagement in the Civil War was at Cheat Mountain (now West Virginia) on September 11, 1861. On June 1862, he was given command of what he would rename the Army of Northern Virginia when General Joseph E. Johnston was wounded. Lee would become a legend in that command. He won several victories against vastly superior Union forces. Ultimately though, his two attempts to invade the North at Antietam and Gettysburg were failures – costly failures that the outmanned Confederates could not sustain. After the simultaneous Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Mississippi, Ulysses S. Grant assumed command of Union forces. Rather than making Richmond the aim of his campaign as previous generals had done – with no success – Grant attacked Lee’s Army. By the summer of 1864, the Confederates were forced into waging trench warfare outside of Petersburg. On April 9, 1865, Lee was forced to surrender his depleted army to Grant at Appomattox Court House. Lee returned home from the war and eventually became the president of Washington College in Virginia (now known as Washington and Lee University). He died on October 12, 1870, in Lexington, Virginia. His life and military exploits have been revered by generations of southerners. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Alabama’s capital removes Confederate names from 2 schools
Two high schools in Alabama’s capital, a hub of the civil rights movement, will no longer bear the names of Confederate leaders. The Montgomery County Board of Education on Thursday voted for new names for Jefferson Davis High School and Robert E. Lee High School, news outlets reported. Lee will become Dr. Percy Julian High School. Davis will become JAG High School, representing three figures of the civil rights movement: Judge Frank Johnson, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and the Rev. Robert Graetz. The schools opened in the 1950s and 1960s as all or mostly white but now serve student populations that are more than 85% African American. “Our job is to make our spaces comfortable for our kids. Bottom line is we’re going to make decisions based on what our kids’ needs may be, not necessarily on sentiment around whatever nostalgia may exist,” Superintendent Melvin Brown said, as reported by WSFA-TV. Julian was a chemist and teacher who was born in Montgomery. Johnson was a federal judge whose rulings helped end segregation and enforce voting rights. Abernathy was a pastor and leader in the civil rights movement. Graetz was the only white pastor who openly supported the Montgomery bus boycott and became the target of scorn and bombings for doing so. The new school names were given two years after education officials vowed to strip the Confederate namesakes. A debate over the school names began amid protests over racial inequality following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Someone ripped down a statue of Lee outside his namesake school during the demonstrations. Like many other Confederate-named schools, Lee — named for the Confederate Army general — opened as an all-white school in 1955 as the South was actively fighting integration. Davis, named for the Confederate president, opened in 1968. But white flight after integration orders and shifting demographics meant the schools became heavily African American. The Montgomery City Council last year voted to rename Jeff Davis Avenue for attorney Fred D. Gray. Gray grew up on the street during the Jim Crow era and went on to represent clients, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. After the street name change, the Alabama attorney general’s office told city officials to pay a $25,000 fine or face a lawsuit for violating a state law protecting Confederate monuments and other longstanding memorials. The city paid the fine in order to remove the Confederate reference. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Despite push, states slow to make Juneteenth a paid holiday
Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states has largely stalled. Although almost every state recognizes Juneteenth in some fashion, many have been slow to do more than issue a proclamation or resolution, even as some continue to commemorate the Confederacy. Lawmakers in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and other states failed to advance proposals this year that would have closed state offices and given most of their public employees paid time off for the June 19 holiday. That trend infuriates Black leaders and community organizers who view making Juneteenth a paid holiday the bare minimum state officials can do to help honor an often overlooked and ignored piece of American history. “Juneteenth marks the date of major significance in American history. It represents the ways in which freedom for Black people have been delayed,” said Democratic Rep. Anthony Nolan, who is Black, while arguing in favor of making Juneteenth a paid holiday in Connecticut on the House floor. “And if we delay this, it’s a smack in the face to Black folks.” Juneteenth commemorates when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states. Last year, Congress and President Joe Biden moved swiftly to make Juneteenth a national holiday. It was the first time the federal government had designated a new national holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Yet the move didn’t result in an automatic adoption from most states. In Alabama, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey issued another proclamation marking Juneteenth a state holiday earlier this week after state lawmakers refused to take action on a bill during their legislative session even after she voiced strong support for making it a permanent holiday back in 2021. The state closes down for Confederate Memorial Days in April. Similarly, Wyoming’s Republican Gov. Mark Gordon issued a statement last June saying he would work with lawmakers to make it a state holiday, but no legislation was filed during the 2022 session. In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee quietly tucked enough funding — roughly $700,000 — to make Juneteenth a state-paid holiday in his initial spending plan for the upcoming year. Despite the bill gaining traction in the state Senate, GOP legislative leaders maintained there wasn’t enough support for the idea even as Tennessee law currently designates special observances for Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Decoration Day, and Nathan Bedford Forrest Day. “I asked many people in my district over the last few days, well over 100 people, if they knew what Juneteenth was, and only two of them knew,” said Republican Sen. Joey Hensley, who is white and voted against the proposal. “I just think we’re putting the cart before the horse making a holiday that people don’t know about.” In South Carolina, instead of working to approve Juneteenth as a holiday, Senate lawmakers unanimously advanced a bill that would allow state employees to choose any day they want to take off instead of the Confederate Memorial Day, currently enshrined as a paid holiday in state law. However, the House sent the bill to a committee, where it died without a hearing when the Legislature adjourned for the session. At the same time, many of these Republican-led areas have advanced bills limiting what can be taught about systematic racism in classrooms while also spiking proposals aimed at expanding voting rights and police reform. This year, nearly 20 states are expected to close state offices and give most of their public employees time off. At least six states officially adopted the holiday over the past few months, including Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. A bill introduced in California passed the Assembly and moved to the Senate this month, and individual cities such as Los Angeles have already signed proclamations making Juneteenth official. “Becoming a state holiday will not merely give employees a day off; it will also give residents a day to think about the future that we want, while remembering the inequities of the past,” said Democratic Del. Andrea Harrison, who sponsored the Juneteenth legislation in Maryland this year. “It will help us to reflect how far we’ve come as a nation, how much more we need to do as humankind.” Attempts to give Juneteenth the same deference as Memorial Day or July Fourth didn’t begin to gain traction until 2020 when protests sparked a nationwide push to address race after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the deaths of other Black people by police officers. “George Floyd protests against police brutality brought awareness to Juneteenth because there were people of all races learning about its significance for the first time following a public push to self-educate and learn more about Black history, culture and injustices,” said Tremaine Jasper, a resident and business owner in Phoenix who has attended Juneteenth celebrations across Arizona with his family. Some cities in Arizona, including Phoenix, have declared Juneteenth an official holiday, paying city employees and closing municipal buildings. However, lawmakers are not currently considering statewide recognition. “There are so many other important issues that we need to tackle — education, political issues, reparations — before we prioritize making Juneteenth a statewide holiday,” Jasper said, noting that those looking to celebrate know where to go. Jasper, who was born and raised in Arizona, said it is going to be an “uphill battle” to get the state to recognize Juneteenth because there is not a large enough Black population outside of its largest cities to make the push. Arizona was also slow in recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, not doing so until 1992. It was one of the last states to officially recognize the civil rights leader. Republished with the permission of The
Juneteenth marked as state holiday in Alabama this year
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has authorized Juneteenth Day — the federal holiday marking the end of slavery — as a holiday for state workers this year in Alabama. Ivey issued a memo earlier this month authorizing the day as a holiday for state workers. State offices will be closed on June 20 for the holiday. Juneteenth, or June 19, falls on a Sunday this year, so the holiday will be recognized the following Monday. President Joe Biden signed legislation last year to make Juneteenth, or June 19, a federal holiday to recognize the end of slavery. Ivey authorized the holiday for state employees since it’s designated at the federal level, spokeswoman Gina Maiola wrote in an email. “However, it is important to remember that ultimately the Legislature must decide if this will become a permanent state holiday,” Maiola wrote. Alabama law recognizes all other national holidays in the state as permanent state holidays, with the exception of Juneteenth. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas — two months after the Confederacy had surrendered. That was also about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Southern states. Alabama has three state Confederate-related holidays that close state offices for the day. Alabama marks Confederate Memorial Day in April and the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in June. The state jointly observes Robert E. Lee Day with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January. There have been various efforts to abolish or change the name of Confederate-related holidays, but none has been successful. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Montgomery faces fine, lawsuit for dropping Confederate name
Alabama’s capital city last month removed the Confederate president’s name from an avenue and renamed it after a lawyer known for his work during the civil rights movement. Now the state attorney general says the city must pay a fine or face a lawsuit for violating a state law protecting Confederate monuments and other longstanding memorials. Montgomery last month changed the name of Jeff Davis Avenue to Fred D. Gray Avenue. Gray, who grew up on that same street, represented Rosa Parks and others in cases that fought Deep South segregation practices and was dubbed by Martin Luther King Jr. as “the chief counsel for the protest movement.” The Alabama attorney general’s office sent a Nov. 5 letter to Montgomery officials saying the city must pay a $25,000 fine by Dec. 8, “otherwise, the attorney general will file suit on behalf of the state.” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said changing the name was the right thing to do. “It was important that we show, not only our residents here, but people from afar that this is a new Montgomery,” Reed, the city’s first Black mayor said in a telephone interview. It was Reed’s suggestion to rename the street after Gray. “We want to honor those heroes that have fought to make this union as perfect as it can be. When I see a lot of the Confederate symbols that we have in the city, it sends a message that we are focused on the lost cause as opposed to those things that bring us together under the Stars and Stripes.” The Alabama Memorial Preservation Act forbids the removal or alteration of monuments and memorials — including a memorial street or memorial building — that have stood for more than 40 years. While the law does not specifically mention memorials to the Confederacy, lawmakers approved the measure in 2017 as some cities began taking down Confederate monuments. Violations carry a $25,000 fine. Mike Lewis, a spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, declined to comment on the letter to the city. This is the first time the law is being used regarding a street name change, he said. The all-Republican Alabama Supreme Court in 2019 reversed a circuit judge’s ruling that declared the law an unconstitutional violation of the free speech rights of local communities. Reed said they knew this was a possibility when the city renamed the street. Donors from across the country have offered to pay the fine for the city. He said they are also considering taking the matter to court. “The other question we have to answer is: Should we pay the fine when we see it as an unjust law?” Reed said. “We’re certainly considering taking the matter to court because it takes away home rule for municipalities.” Alabama’s capital city is sometimes referred to as the “Cradle of the Confederacy” because it is where representatives of states met in 1861 to form the Confederacy, and the city served as the first Confederate capital. The city also played a key role in the civil rights movement — including the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery County school system has voted to rename high schools named for Davis and Confederate General Robert E. Lee — although the names have not yet been changed. Several cities have just opted to take down Confederate monuments and pay the $25,000 fine. The state recently collected a $25,000 fine after suing officials in Huntsville, where the county removed a Confederate memorial outside the county courthouse last year. Marshall last year issued a video message chiding local officials that they are breaking the law with monument removals. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Huntsville schools ask state about renaming Lee High School
The public school system in Huntsville has agreed to ask Alabama’s attorney general whether it can rename a school honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee without violating a state law meant to protect Confederate memorials and monuments. News outlets reported that board members during a meeting Tuesday authorized their attorney to seek an opinion about whether such a move would conflict with the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, which carries a $25,000 fine. Passed in 2017 when rebel monuments were being challenged nationwide, the law prohibits the removal, alteration, or renaming of any monument that’s located on public property which has been in place at least 40 years. Board attorney Chris Pape said Lee High School moved into a new building in 2012, the law shouldn’t apply. But one baseball field remains from the school’s original 1957 location, so the system is asking Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office if “that one piece is enough to make the act apply,” Pape said. Superintendent Christie Finley announced a proposal to rename the school in June. Huntsville is in Madison County, which paid the $25,000 penalty to the state after removing a Confederate monument from outside the courthouse last year. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
