Alabama state offices are closed the first Monday of June in "celebration" of the birthday of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. But what is there to celebrate? In the year 2020, it is long past time to put the confederacy behind us and recognize the damage "celebrating" such a man has on our state and our citizens. This was a man who fought for the continuation of slavery, who betrayed the United States of America, who led to the deaths of 750,000 soldiers, and his legacy only further continues to dehumanize black citizens. How can we expect to mend the systemic racial inequalities facing our state if we continue to "honor" and "celebrate" the man who encouraged, fought for, and led to the foundation of these inequalities in the first place. 

If you love this state, if you love your community, you will fight to remove this holiday and remove this man from his undeserved and unjust pedestal. Can you point to one positive effect his life has had on yours? Because there are over a million Alabamians who can point to a multitude of ways in which he has negatively impacted their lives.

By signing this petition, we call on Governor Ivey and the Alabama legislature to abolish Jefferson Davis' Birthday as a state holiday and move Alabama into the 21st century. It is literally the easiest thing to do to take one small step in improving the racial inequalities present in our state.