ZestBlog

By Daniel Walker | May 18, 2024

Remove or relocate

Florida continues to hold on to its Confederate history, as it officially commemorates Floridians who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War on Confederate Memorial Day, observed on April 26. 
 

This holiday, along with the birthdays of General Robert E. Lee and Confederate States President Jefferson Davis, remains in place in Florida despite ongoing efforts to abolish them. 

Courage and sacrifices

Supporters argue that these observances pay tribute to the courage and sacrifices of those involved, rather than endorsing the cause they fought for. 
 

Official ceremonies

Confederate Memorial Day in Florida is not a paid holiday, lacks official ceremonies, and has not received public acknowledgment from Governor Ron DeSantis. 
 

The false narrative

Historians note that these holidays were introduced in the Southern states in the years following Reconstruction. During this time, supporters of the Confederacy were pushing the false narrative of the "Lost Cause," which involved revising textbooks, renaming locations, minimizing the reasons for the war and the horrors of slavery, implementing Jim Crow laws, and constructing monuments in public spaces to honor Confederate figures.
 

Growing movement

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to dismantle Confederate tributes, particularly following the 2015 Charleston church shooting by white supremacist Dylann Roof. 
 

Statues and plaques

As a result, Confederate statues and plaques have been removed, and there have been name changes for schools, parks, and military bases.
 

This surrender

In April 1866, Confederate Memorial Day was established in Georgia to honor the fallen Confederate soldiers. It was initiated on the first anniversary of the surrender of Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnson to Union Gen. William Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina. This surrender was significant to many in the Confederacy as it symbolized the conclusion of the Civil War.
 

Military or naval forces

Florida state legislation includes specific provisions to safeguard the Confederate flag to the same extent as the state flag. According to Florida Statute 256.051, the law states: “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to copy, print, publish, or otherwise use the flag or state emblem of Florida, or the flag or emblem of the Confederate States, or any flag or emblem used by the Confederate States or the military or naval forces of the Confederate States at any time within the years 1860 to 1865, both inclusive, for the purpose of advertising, selling, or promoting the sale of any article of merchandise whatever within this state."
 

Civil War's conclusion

Florida officially recognized Confederate Memorial Day and Robert E. Lee's birthday in 1895, three decades following the Civil War's conclusion. Additionally, Jefferson Davis Day was incorporated into Florida law in 1905.
 

States that celebrate

Other states that celebrate Confederate Memorial Day: State holiday, paid: Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. State holiday unpaid: Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennesee. Recognized: Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, and sort-of Georgia
 

Both holidays

Georgia previously commemorated Lee in November and Confederate Memorial Day in April but in 2015 (after the Charleston shooting) both holidays were replaced with unnamed "State Holidays."
 

Efforts to eliminate

Supporters of Confederate holidays argue that they symbolize "heritage, not hate," and efforts to eliminate them have been rejected.
 

The birthdays

In 2018, Rep. Jared Moskowitz's proposal and Sen. Shevrin D. Jones' comprehensive bill, both aiming to either remove or relocate all Confederate monuments and plaques in Florida to the Museum of Florida History, were unsuccessful. 

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