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The History Of Nathan Bedford Forrest Day In Tennessee
Why Tennessee Still Honors The First Grand Wizard Of The KKK
On January 19, 2019, Republican Governor Lee became the 50th Governor of the State of Tennessee. That summer, he found one of his duties by law was to proclaim Nathan Bedford Forrest Day on July 13. Forrest was the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, founded in Pulaski, TN, on Christmas Eve, 1865.
Universal Citation: TN Code § 15–2–101 (2019)
"Each year it is the duty of the governor of this state to proclaim the following as days of special observance: January 19, "Robert E. Lee Day"; February 12, "Abraham Lincoln Day"; March 15, "Andrew Jackson Day"; June 3, "Memorial Day" or "Confederate Decoration Day"; July 13, "Nathan Bedford Forrest Day"; and NovemGovernor "Veterans' Day." The governor shall invite the people of this state to observe the days in schools, churches, and other suitable places with appropriate ceremonies expressive of the public sentiment befitting the anniversary of such dates."
The law requiring these dates to be honored was initially passed in 1969, the year after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in Memphis, Tennessee, and during a period of racial unrest throughout the nation. The bill requiring the "special observance" of Confederate heroes Robert E. Lee, Lieutenant General Forrest, and Confederate Decoration Day honoring the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, all of whom enslaved people, could be considered progress in a way. Before 1969, each day was an official holiday in Tennessee; now, they just got proclamations.
When Governor Lee first honored Nathan Bedford Forrest as required by law, he faced much criticism from all sides, including Senator Ted Cruz, an unlikely critic.
