Confederate Memorial Day in SC: What to know about 'holiday,' current status of Juneteenth

Nina Tran, Greenville News

Confederate Memorial Day in South Carolina takes place on Friday, May 10, sparking controversy and heated discussion across the state.

Official state recognition of the holiday began with the passage of Act 80 (approved Feb. 7, 1896), making May 10 and Jan. 19 legal holidays, according to the state Department of Archives and History (SCDAH).

Jan. 19 is the anniversary of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general during the American Civil War. May 10 is the anniversary of the day Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a general officer in the Confederate States Army, who died at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. It is also the day Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by federal troops in 1865, according to SCDAH.

Here's more to know about the holiday, opposition against it, and legislative efforts to recognize Juneteenth as an official S.C. state holiday.

Why is Confederate Memorial Day observed?

Confederate Memorial Day is observed to remember Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. There are several southern states that observe the holiday including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas. Although S.C. observes the day on May 10, dates of observance in other states may vary.

Kathy Clark of Lantana lays flowers at the newly placed grave of Confederate Capt. John Mizell as part of the ceremony for the Confederate Memorial Day at Woodlawn Cemetery. Mizell's second cousin and civil war re-enactor Lenny Albritton of West Palm Beach looks on. The Sons of Confederate Veterans visited 10 cemeteries, decorated graves and placed headstones on previously unmarked gravesites.

Will SC state offices be closed for Confederate Memorial Day?

According to previous Greenville News coverage, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Pickens counties do not honor Confederate Memorial Day with a legal holiday.

Christopher George with the city of Spartanburg reconfirmed that Confederate Memorial Day is not recognized as one of the city's employee holidays. The Greenville News reached out to the city of Greenville but did not receive a response.

Anderson County offices will be closed for the day in observance, according to The Anderson Observer.

Who are the Veteran Sons of the Confederacy?

The South Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans describe themselves as "the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans," according to their website. The website also states they are the oldest hereditary organization of Confederate soldiers. Through projects and programs, the group aims to preserve the Southern history and relics of Confederate soldiers. The S.C. Division alone is made up of 3,000 members, with over 60 camps located statewide. Worldwide, the Sons of Confederate Soldiers has over 30,000 members.

Anthony Luis poses for a picture at his Buford Avenue home in Gettysburg on Thursday June 25, 2015 where he flies the Confederate battle flag from his porch. Luis, a re-enactor with Sons of Confederate Veterans and who's great great grandfather fought and was wounded for the Army of the Confederacy in the Civil War, says that the flag to him does not and should not represent racism but rather a part of history that should not be forgotten. "Most Confederate soldiers were not slave owners, they were very poor," said Luis. "I have to honor my grandfather who carried this flag and was wounded for it." "It's a shameful thing," Luis said of the tragedy in Charleston. "We are praying for everyone in South Carolina."

Opposition to Confederate Memorial Day

Confederate Memorial Day continues to cause controversy and opposition in S.C. Efia Nwangaza, an attorney and civil/human rights activist in Greenville, showed her stance on the holiday in 2021, when she led a protest against a downtown monument. During the protest, she asked that the monument be taken down and placed in Springwood Cemetery along with the resting graves of other Confederate soldiers.

"South Carolina has never deviated from its commitment to the myth of white supremacy, from the moment that it fired the first shot of the Civil War, to the first lawsuit it filed in opposition to the Voting Rights Act, to its resistance of the implementation of Brown Vs. the Board of Education," Nwangaza told the Greenville News in previous coverage of the holiday.

Efia Nwangaza tapes a sign reading "In memory of Confederate victims" during a protest at the Confederate statue in downtown Greenville Saturday, April 24, 2021.
Efia Nwangaza tapes a sign reading "In memory of Confederate victims" during a protest at the Confederate statue in downtown Greenville Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Is Juneteenth an official state holiday in SC?

In 2022, S.C. senators approved a bill giving state employees a choice of observing Confederate Memorial Day. According to a Greenville news story, the bill began as a proposal to add Juneteenth on June 19 as a new state holiday. Instead of adding a 14th state holiday, the bill would have created a floating state holiday that workers can take on Confederate Memorial Day on May 10, for Juneteenth, or for any other day of their choosing, said the story. But the state House did not hold a vote.

In this year's legislative session, Sen. Darrell Jackson, (D-Columbia) introduced S008, a bill that would install Juneteenth as a state holiday. The bill was sent to the Senate Family and Veterans Services Committee and has not been taken up by the full body.

Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. It is the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take over the state and ensure all enslaved people be free, taking place two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth was first declared a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021. Despite this, it is still not recognized as an official state holiday in S.C. Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma are other southern states where Juneteenth is not recognized as an official state holiday.

South Carolina's First Lady of Song Loretta Holloway, left, sings while Alphaeus Anderson plays piano during the Prelude to Juneteenth, Friday, June 17, 2022. The event featured poetry, dramatic readings, interpretive dance, food trucks.
South Carolina's First Lady of Song Loretta Holloway, left, sings while Alphaeus Anderson plays piano during the Prelude to Juneteenth, Friday, June 17, 2022. The event featured poetry, dramatic readings, interpretive dance, food trucks.

Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Confederate Memorial Day in SC: Will Juneteenth be recognized in SC?

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