Alabama bill would let state workers choose: Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis' birthday

An Alabama bill could allow state employees to choose between commemorating Juneteenth or the birthday of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis, which is celebrated on the first Monday of June.

The bill, HB 367, is sponsored by Chris Sells, R-Greenville, and was created as a compromise. Other legislation would have made Juneteenth its own permanent state holiday, such as HB4, sponsored by Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham.

The State Government Committee in the House of Representatives, of which Sells is the chairman, agreed on April 3 to substitute Givan’s bill for Sells'. It will later be voted on by the full House.

“We have 13 state holidays right now, and so I really don't want to create another paid holiday,” Sells said. “It doesn’t take anything away from anybody, so if you still want to celebrate Jefferson Davis' birthday, you just keep doing it as you have been doing it. If you want to celebrate Juneteenth instead, you just do that.”

Juneteenth has been commemorated in Alabama since it became a federal holiday in June 2021, but only if Governor Kay Ivey declares it so for that year. Celebrated on June 19, it has not been granted a permanent place as an official state holiday.

“What if the governor refuses to continue with proclamations? Then there's nothing,” Givan said.

For the second year in a row, Givan had proposed legislation to change that. She expressed both excitement for the committee vote but also disappointment in the compromising substitution.

“I'm very disappointed in that, but the thing is, I think with any piece of legislation here, there's room to move,” Givan said. “There's room to amend in the future.

“This was a huge moment to at least get this far. Am I disappointed to an extent? Absolutely. But that we possibly will be able to at least have it acknowledged in the state is significant.”

Juneteenth holds personal significance for millions around the country.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it would take two years of enforcement before the Confederate States released their slaves. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, the last enslaved people in the United States were freed.

In Montgomery, numerous festivals, concerts, parades and other celebrations take place each year.

Donna Biesel is the Director of Operations at the Rosa Parks Museum, which is owned by Troy University and located in downtown Montgomery. Each year, the museum holds a Juneteenth celebration.

While Biesel said she has received negative criticism for holding the event, she believes the story of Juneteenth should be told and respected.

“Every year, this is just bringing the community together, educating about the significance of Juneteenth,” Biesel said. “Before coming to work at the Rosa Parks Museum, I taught seventh grade for 13 years, and I saw all kinds of kids come through, and I saw how institutionalized some of these biases and prejudices and racism are.

“The need to tell a true, accurate history of what happened, without trying to sugarcoat it, is probably more important now than it has ever been in much of my lifetime.”

Givan agreed that acknowledgement is crucial.

“What this bill says is that someone has to acknowledge slavery,” Givan said. “They have to acknowledge a people. They have to acknowledge that that moment in history did happen.”

Givan also said that she wants to fight against Confederate holidays in Alabama.

In addition to Jefferson Davis’ birthday, Alabama recognizes Confederate Memorial Day on the fourth Monday of April.

Alabama is one of only two states that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the same day as Robert E Lee Day.  Last year, Kenyatté Hassell, D-Montgomery, sponsored a bill that didn’t pass to separate the holidays. Hassell also voiced support for the Juneteenth legislation.

More: 'Where was the Lord?': On Jefferson Davis' birthday, 9 slave testimonies

“The separation of it at that time for me was so important because, like I said, it was two different ideologies,” Hassell said. “For Juneteenth, I think it a shame that they were in slavery for two years, that they didn't find out that they were free.

“I sum it up like this – nobody's free until everybody's free, and so that's why it should be celebrated.”

Legislation regarding confederate holidays has repeatedly been proposed to the state legislature since 2017, but so far none of the bills have come to fruition.

Emily Mosier is a Troy University student. This article was produced as part of a project funded by the Alabama Press Association. 

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis' birthday? Bill would let workers choose