Georgia Erases Confederate Names For Two State Employee Holidays

A group with the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans walk to their rally point at Turner Field, where they joined thousands in a march to the State Capitol, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001, in Atlanta, durin... A group with the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans walk to their rally point at Turner Field, where they joined thousands in a march to the State Capitol, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001, in Atlanta, during their annual Robert E. Lee birthday celebration. An estimated 3,000 people were in attendance for the annual celebration to honor Lee and show support for Southern heritage and its symbols. Activities included a march in Confederate Civil War attire and featured speakers on the Capitol steps. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Georgia’s public employees will continue to get Confederate Memorial Day and Robert E. Lee’s birthday off, but according to the state government’s internal calendars, each of those holidays is now known only as “state holiday.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that that names of the two holidays were nowhere to be found on the holiday schedules emailed out to state employees this week that called the days instead “state holiday.” Gov. Nathan Deal’s (R) spokesman Brian Robinson told AJC the holidays will be continue to observed even though the state no longer will “spell it out by name.”

AJC’s comparison to a previous year’s calendar showed how mentions of “Confederate Memorial Day” and “Robert E. Lee” had been scrubbed. Georgia observes Confederate Memorial Day in April and Lee’s birthday on November (although the Confederate general was actually born January.)

“There will be a state holiday on that day,” Robinson told AJC. “Those so inclined can observe Confederate Memorial Day and remember those who died in that conflict.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “Those so inclined can observe Confederate Memorial Day and remember those who died in that conflict.

    And remember those traitors who died in that conflict.

    FIFY

  2. They should have designated them “floating holidays”; let state employees choose when to take them. Just changing the official name still leaves them as 2 days to celebrate slavery.

  3. Fuck 'ol Robert E right in the ass.

    He lost, get over it.

  4. Really? They’re now dogwhistling confederate state fucking holidays? WTF? “No no, it’s just a generic state holiday WINK WINK…”?

    My head hurts…

  5. I think it’s time the USA recognized April the 9th as Southern Treason Surrender Day and a Federal holiday.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

23 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for gothamer Avatar for jootjoint Avatar for estamm Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for lochsabill Avatar for meri Avatar for jloomis3 Avatar for mooster Avatar for mcgloinm Avatar for sjb1126mn Avatar for leftflank Avatar for trippin Avatar for voreason Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for condew Avatar for pdxer Avatar for sniffit Avatar for jkrogman Avatar for arc_of_the_universe Avatar for lkharter Avatar for tao Avatar for constitutionfan Avatar for mrf

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: