JACKSON, Miss — Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a proclamation naming April as Confederate Heritage Month.
The document also declares April 26 as Confederate Memorial Day in Mississippi. The proclamation recognizes the month when the American Civil War began in 1861.
"As we honor all who lost their lives in this war, it is important for all Americans to reflect upon our nation’s past, to gain insight from our mistakes and successes, and to come to a full understanding that the lessons learned yesterday and today will carry us through tomorrow if we carefully and earnestly strive to understand and appreciate our heritage and our opportunities which lie before us," the proclamation says.
"If I were to have a conversation with the governor, 'Governor, what are we supposed to learn?'" said state Rep. Earle Banks, of Jackson. "'What are you going to teach the white kids versus the Black kids?'"
Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the governor, said by signing the proclamation, Reeves is following in the footsteps of governors in office before him.
"For the last 30 years, five Mississippi governors — Republicans and Democrats alike — have signed a proclamation recognizing the statutory state holiday and identifying April as Confederate Heritage Month," Martin said. "Gov. Reeves also signed the proclamation because he believes we can all learn from our history."
Banks said he's been pushing to get the Mississippi Legislature to approve a special day that honors heroes of the civil rights movement who defeated the Jim Crow South.
"The people that fought and died in the 20s and 30s and 40s, 50s. Vernon Dahmer, Medgar Evers -- how they went and fought and stood up against the systematic ingrained racism," Banks said.
Mississippi officially adopted a new state flag in January, which replaced the old flag design that featured the Confederate battle emblem.
