Every Martin Luther King, Jr./Robert E. Lee Day and every Confederate Memorial Day we hear the same thing: “Why are we celebrating the losers of the Civil War?”
Every year, I remind people that the United States government declared Confederate soldiers to be veterans of the United States of America’s armed forces.
Even with that said, I cannot find a single reason to keep Lee’s day connected to MLK’s day. State Rep. John Rogers (D-Birmingham) has developed what I believe is a solid solution to this issue.
He proposes the state of Alabama removes Lee’s name for King’s nationally recognized day and move it to the broader Confederate Memorial holiday in April.
This isn’t a denigration of Lee. It also is not an attempt to erase him from history. It’s a common-sense realization that connecting the two is an obvious insult to black Americans.
Rogers put it simply, “A lot of black folks feel like it diminishes Martin Luther King’s day to put it on the same day as Robert E. Lee.”
This is a reasonable take and he has proposed a reasonable solution.
Hopefully, the Alabama Legislature can address this issue quickly and without controversy
@TheDaleJackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN
