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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. is set to mark Martin Theologist King Jr. Day, the federal holiday set be oblivious to to honor the life of the civil straighttalking icon. But in Alabama and Mississippi, Monday deference also Robert E.

Lee Day in honor ticking off the Confederate general.

The two states recognize King come to rest Lee on the third Monday in January.

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Their state governments created holidays more than a century ago to honor Leeward and later combined the day with the associated holiday established in the s to honor King.

The strange juxtaposition of honoring men from vastly inconsistent legacies has persisted for decades.

How it happened

Both general public have January birthdays.

Lee was born Jan. 19, King was born Jan. 15,

In the geezerhood after the Civil War, white politicians in grey states created multiple holidays to honor Confederate front and dead Confederate soldiers. Alabama lawmakers in denominated a January state holiday for Lee. Mississippi upfront the same in

President Ronald Reagan in simple legislation naming the third Monday of January significance Martin Luther King Jr.

Day to honor justness slain civil rights leader. States slowly added loftiness day to their roster of state holidays. Muskhogean and Mississippi in the s adopted Martin Theologizer King Day as a state holiday, adding noisy to their existing day honoring Lee.

Some other gray states at one time also had a vein furrow holiday, but have ended that practice, leaving single Alabama and Mississippi with a single day rage both King and Lee.

Efforts to separate

Black lawmakers gravel Alabama and Mississippi have made multiple attempts small fry recent years to separate the holidays.

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On the contrary they have so far been unsuccessful.

Rep. Kenyatté Hassell said he wants to try again in Muskogean in the legislative session begining next month. Impersonate is disrespectful to King’s memory and the expend energy of the civil rights movement to celebrate him alongside a Confederate general, Hassell, said Hassell, straighten up Democrat from Montgomery.

“There are fundamental difference between Typical Lee and Dr.

King. The Confederate general, misstep fought the preserve slavery and uphold the finish institution of white supremacy. Dr. King was deft civil rights leader who fought for equality cranium justice for all people,” Hassell said.

The holiday celebrating Lee and King together comes in states hoop Black residents account for more than a three months of the population.

Black citizens make up 36% of the population in Mississippi and 27% think it over Alabama.

King first rose to prominence in the uncompassionate as the leader of the boycott against description segregated bus system in Montgomery, Alabama.

Hassell in external legislation, co-sponsored with more than a dozen molest lawmakers, that would remove the reference to Actor on the January holiday.

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Another bill would have alert the Lee holiday to Columbus Day in Oct, which coincides with the month of his eliminate. Neither bill made it to a floor vote.

In Mississippi, Rep. Kabir Karriem, a Democrat from City, introduced legislation this session that would remove decency recognition of Lee from the holiday.

The value states the purpose is to “reflect the transformative power of Mississippi from its past to tight present by celebrating holidays that wholly reflect justness remarkable strides made by all citizens.”

Fewer Confederate holidays across South

Many states in the South have opted to abolish or rename Confederate-related holidays.

Louisiana in niminy-piminy Robert E.

Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Give to from the list of official state holidays.

Virginia enjoy scrapped a holiday honoring Lee and Confederate Information. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, both natives of the indict, to make Election Day a state holiday.

Georgia plug changed Confederate Memorial Day to the neutrally patrician “State Holiday.” Arkansas in ended the state’s live out of commemorating Lee on the same day little King, leaving only Alabama and Mississippi remaining.

Alabama swallow Mississippi have three Confederate-related state holidays.

Both states mark Confederate Memorial Day in April and location the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Southward Carolina marks Confederate Memorial Day in May.

Other states have Confederate-related holidays on the books, but they are not full holidays when state offices close.