Mississippi governor proclaims April as 'Confederate Heritage Month'

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has declared April as "Confederate Heritage Month" -- and he's not the only one.

Along with Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Texas will recognize the month. A Georgia lawmaker is attempting to have it official in his state as well. According to the Associated Press, Bryant's proclamation doesn't mention slavery but is similar to ones he's written in the past. Instead, he said "Confederate states began and ended a four-year struggle" in April.

AP reports that Bryant said in a statement, "Mississippi's history deserves study and reflection, no matter how unpleasant or complicated the matter may be." He continued that "gaining insight from our mistakes and successes will help us move forward."

See Confederate flags still around the country

Georgia State Republican Rep. Tommy Benton of Jefferson has received blowback from black lawmakers for his proposal, though apparently state law designates April as "Confederate History and Heritage Month."

Bryant had made the same declaration in 2016. This year, he waited until the last hour to sign the proclamation.