Pursuing Justice

 A few years ago, at brunch with friends in DC, my husband mentioned that when he moved to Richmond, VA as a kid, today’s holiday was called Lee Jackson King Day.

Our jaws dropped. The rest of us grew up outside of the South, and none of us had ever heard of this.

Wikipedia confirms “the union of the holidays was described as the in tribute to defenders of causes”. VA separated the holidays but continued Lee-Jackson Day until 2020.1

As I write this note, I am saddened to discover that Mississippi2 and Alabama3 still thumb their noses at civil rights and celebrate King Lee day. Texas has separated the holidays, but still celebrates Confederate Heroes Day four days later, on Lee’s birthday.4

You might be thinking, “I don’t live in the deep south, it doesn’t impact me, that’s a world away.” And MLK’s words come back in response.

 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail

Today, as we celebrate Martin Luther King, I wish he had lived longer to continue his profound work. There is still so much to be done.

Warm regards,

Rose Thun

1.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee%E2%80%93Jackson%E2%80%93King_Day

2.       https://www.dfa.ms.gov/hr-state-holidays

3.       https://inform.alabama.gov/calendar.aspx

4.       https://comptroller.texas.gov/about/holidays.php