Twitter post goes viral after slamming Alabama bank for sign about Robert E. Lee, MLK Day holiday
Published 4:24 pm Monday, January 16, 2023
A Twitter post taking a bank to task for posting a sign announcing it will be closed to honor Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King Jr. has gone viral.
The post included a photograph of the sign on a CB&S Bank door. CB&S is headquartered in Russellville, Alabama, and has branches in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
“If you live in Alabama you should pull your money out of @cbsbank /@cbsbankAL immediately,” Twitter user said. “Unless you think Black Americans should be slaves.”
…..
If you live in Alabama you should pull your money out of @cbsbank /@cbsbankAL immediately.
Unless you think Black Americans should be slaves. pic.twitter.com/u4OCyVQSzk
— Brock Boone (@brockbooneLAW) January 11, 2023
…..
The sign in the photo reads, “HOLIDAY NOTICE: This office will be closed Monday, January 16 in observance of Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King, Jr. Normal business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 17th.”
The Twitter post does not indicate where the photo was taken.
Banks, Post Offices and other government agencies have posted similar notices on their doors across Alabama and Mississippi, the only two states in the union to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee.
As of Monday morning, the post has received more than 70,000 views — with hundreds of likes and several comments.
One Mississippi legislator told Mississippi Today that he believes it is time that King had the holiday to himself.
State Rep. Kabir Karriem, D-Columbus has introduced legislation, like he has since coming to the state House in 2016, to remove Lee from the holiday.
“Mississippi needs to move into the future,” said Karriem. “We have changed the state flag (to eliminate the Confederate battle emblem from the design). This is the next logical step.”
In addition, the legislation would eliminate the state holiday of Confederate Memorial Day, which is held on the last Monday in April.
“The bill has never gotten out of committee even though I file it ever year,” said Karriem. “But a lot of the bills filed by Democrats do not get out of committee.”
Some Alabama legislators have tried to make a change, but like those in Mississippi, have been unsuccessful in making the change.
Other states, including Florida and Tennessee, set aside a day for Lee but do not combine it with the King holiday and state offices remain open.
