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Protests, pride on display for Confederate Memorial Day

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Confederate flags fly over the graves of Confederate soldiers buried in Magnolia Cemetery on July 14, 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina.

By Jared Leone, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

State offices will be closed Monday in Alabama and Mississippi -- the only two states that honor Confederate Memorial Day.

The day observes those who died fighting for the South during the Civil War after those states seceded from the U.S.

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Opponents are against it because they say it honors those who fought to maintain slavery. Supporters say the holiday recognizes the history and legacy of those who fought in the Civil War.

"I'm troubled that in a state made up of 40 percent people of color, our leadership continues to openly sanction the use of taxpayer funds to endorse a neo-Confederate agenda," Lea Campbell, president of the Mississippi Rising Coalition, said in a release.

The group has a protest planned for Monday at the Harrison County Justice Court in Gulfport.

The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans says it is a historical group working to preserve history and the day honors the legacy of those who fought.

APRIL is CONFEDERATE HERITAGE MONTH in the State of MISSISSIPPI. April 24th, 2017 is Confederate Memorial Day to honor those who served in the Confederacy. Many thanks to our Governor. #CSA2017 #SCV #MSSCV

Posted by Mississippi Sons of Confederate Veterans Folks & Fans on Friday, March 31, 2017

Alabama and Mississippi are not the only states that celebrate their Confederate past.

Georgia removed the “Confederate” designation from its holiday in 2015 but state employees still have the day off. Now the last Monday in April is called “State Holiday.”

In South Carolina, Confederate Memorial Day is celebrated in May to mark when Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson died.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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