Alabama is currently one of only three states that observe a combined Martin Luther King Jr./Robert E. Lee holiday. The 3rd Monday in January is unofficially considered "Martin Luther King Jr. Day" when in reality it's "Robert E. Lee Day."

I am humbly asking Alabama Legislators to consider doing away with the joint celebration for King, the black civil-rights leader, and Lee, a white general who directed forces in the Army of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi are the only states that still combine the two days as part of their official celebrations. The holidays are held on the third Monday of January and result in the closure of state and local offices, courts and schools.

Here's our chance to "bridge the divides" and help "heal the wounds of the past" in our state. Let's unite together and once again be the light in a dark world!

Pastor Michael D. McClure Jr.