This isn't the first time that Texas lawmakers have tried to eliminate "Confederate Heroes Day". They've been trying to get it done for several years.

"Confederate Heroes Day" has been a state holiday since 1973. Lawmakers at the time decided to combine two holidays celebrating the two Confederate Generals: Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. January 19 was chosen because it was  Robert E. Lee's birthday.



According to a report from KXXV Channel 25, Texas lawmakers have introduced two new bills that would eliminate the state holiday.

University of Houston professor, Brandon Rottinghaus says, "This has been a controversial holiday since it was created. It’s been a point of contention because there are people on both sides who have strong feelings.”

Many people want the statues to stay where they are as a reminder of our past, others, like the co-founder of Brazos Valley Black Lives Matter Movement,  Ebony Peterson, say these statues should be moved to museums like what they've done at The University of Texas at Austin.

”Honoring them, I don’t think we should honor them, but you know, don’t have them like they [Texas A&M University] have the Sully statue in the middle of an academic plaza. I don’t think it should be there."

Another idea was to rename the day and move it away from Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Professor Rottinghaus says,  ”One attempt to try to bring some compromise was to rename Confederate Heroes Day Civil War Remembrance Day and then move it to the summer so that it wouldn’t interfere or conflict with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.”

Texas is not alone in it's Confederate Heroes Day. Several other states have holidays set aside to honor their confederate heritage. In Texas and Florida it's called    Confederate Heroes Day, while in Tennessee they call it Confederate Decoration Day and South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi also have a day set aside for the Remembrance of Confederate soldiers who have died in military service.

What do you think? Should Texas do away with Confederate Heroes Day? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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