Friday is a state holiday, Lee-Jackson Day, honoring Confederate leaders. But, this year may be the last one it’s on the calendar.
The debate over Confederate statues isn’t the only opposition to heroes of the Lost Cause. Lawmakers are also considering an effort to ditch Lee-Jackson Day, a state holiday honoring Confederate Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
Delegate Joe Lindsey is a Democrat from Norfolk, and he wants to move the holiday to Election Day.
“I certainly have never celebrated Lee-Jackson Day, and others can choose to celebrate it as they see fit," says Lindsey. "I think that if the choice is between a state-sponsored holiday that celebrates the Confederate generals of the past or an opportunity for people to have access to the voter box; we should have access to the voter box.”
The state holiday was created back in 1889, and Republican Senator Emmitt Hanger of Augusta County says lawmakers should not abandon the tradition.
“Both Lee and Jackson are truly honored and significant historical figures in Virginia," Hanger says. "And it’s been traditional. So I certainly would not favor eliminating that holiday.”
For a while, the holiday was merged with Martin Luther King Day, creating the awkward Lee-Jackson-King Day. These days, they have been separated to a Friday holiday and a Monday holiday — a rare four-day weekend for state workers that would go away if lawmakers approve Lindsay’s bill.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
