The two men’s birthdays fall just four days apart, but their legacies couldn’t be more different. King gave his life to the cause of racial equality; Lee fought in the Civil War to keep Black people enslaved.

Nonetheless, Mississippi and Alabama will both mark King-Lee Day as a state holiday. Until recently, they had company: Arkansas celebrated King-Lee Day until 2018, and Virginia observed Lee-Jackson-King Day, also honoring Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, until 2000. (Virginia subsequently observed a separate Lee-Jackson Day the Friday before MLK Day until 2021.) Texas still celebrates Confederate Heroes Day on Lee’s actual birthday, Jan. 19, and its state employees can take a paid holiday on both days.

For many Black Southerners, these holidays are part of a broader effort to glorify the Confederacy, 158 years after its secessionist war effort went down in defeat.

As a high school student in Tunica, Miss., Arielle Hudson remembers reading state history textbooks in her Mississippi studies class that cited states’ rights as the Civil War’s only cause.

“There was no mention of slavery anywhere,” said Hudson, who is Black and attended public school in a district that is more than 95 percent Black, in a northwestern Mississippi county whose education system remains largely segregated.

To the 25-year-old law student, who as a University of Mississippi undergraduate fought successfully in 2020 to remove a Confederate statue from a prominent campus spot, these textbooks glorified “Lost Cause” mythology — the false idea that the Confederacy had a heroic mission in the Civil War unrelated to preserving slavery. This mythology, she said, is part of what has preserved Mississippi’s celebration of King-Lee Day.

King was born on Jan. 15, 1929; Lee was born on Jan. 19, 1807. Supporters of the joint recognition “usually argue that it is a practical way to celebrate two individuals’ lives who are important in the Deep South,” said John Giggie, an associate history professor and director of the Summersell Center for the Study of the South at the University of Alabama.

“The whole purpose of the Civil War was to say that there were two different visions of this country and they were incompatible,” said Clayborne Carson, the Martin Luther King, Jr. centennial professor emeritus of history at Stanford University. “What King represented was an effort to heal that breach.”

You Can Still Visit Cuba with HNN!

YOU HAVE ONLY UNTIL MARCH 30 TO SIGN UP FOR THIS TRIP.

Cuba is a country unlike any other in the world. Today we invite our readers to join us on our premier, all-inclusive week-long tour of this distinctive island country. Utilizing our extensive contacts and expertise, we’ve designed a very special, customized trip that will allow you to experience the history, literature, politics, and culture of Cuba in a way few have before.

Our tour will take us from Havana to Cienfuegos to Trinidad, where we will meet with distinguished professors of literature and sociology from the University of Havana, engage with prominent writers, poets, and publishers, visit museums with renowned curators and art historians, and enjoy music at private concerts with Cuba’s foremost jazz and trova artists. We will attend exclusive performances at the country’s famed ballet and flamenco studios, hear the stories of Afro-Cuban activists, visit the private studios of celebrated artists, and drink and dine at the new paladars (private restaurants) recently introduced as part of Raul Castro’s economic reforms.

Your journey will be hosted by Charles Bittner, a sociologist and expert on Cuban culture. Charles is administering HNN’s new global outreach program, which offers specially curated trips to our members and supporters. Throughout the week, you will also be accompanied by Christopher Elias Quesada, a graduate and professor of the prominent Facultad de Lenguas Extranjeras at the University of Havana. A lifelong Cuban, Christopher is one of Cuba’s most experienced and highly-educated guides

The all-inclusive cost of this May 27 - June 3, 2018 weeklong tour, is $5,595 per person (double occupancy gets a discounted price:  $4,995) and includes:

•    7 nights accommodations in Cuba

•    5 nights Hotel in Havana

•    2-night Bed and Breakfasts in Trinidad

•    Daily breakfast

•    Lunches and dinners as listed on the itinerary

•    All local ground transportation

•    Speaker fees

•    Admission to all museums and public buildings listed in itinerary

•    Coordination of all listed activities

•    Pre-trip departure information

•   Compliance with U.S. Treasury Department regulations

(Airfare to/from Havana not included.)

For further information contact Charles Bittner at Charles@hnn.us or just call 617-833-1435.

HNN's First Trip to Cuba in 2017

You Can Still Visit Cuba with HNN!

May 27 – June 3, 2018

Sunday, May 27

3:00 pm           Settle in to the historic Hotel Capri, which was one of the first hotel casinos built by the American mafia in Cuba. Owned by mobster Santo Trafficante, and run by George Raft, the hotel was at a time one of the largest casinos in Havana. Located blocks from the University of Havana, Coppelia ice cream, and the Havana seawall, the recent remodeling provides first class amenities, including a roof-top pool and bar.

6:30 pm           Discussion with Carlos Alzugaray, former Cuban diplomat and expert on U.S.- Cuba relations, to learn about the bilateral relationship and Cuban foreign policy. At Altamira

7:45 pm          Enjoy a traditional Cuban meal overlooking the Straits of Florida at the Hotel Nacional. Tasty Cuban food served family style with a great view of the Havana sea wall and the old Spanish fortress.

Monday, May 28

10 am              Visit to the Museum of Cuban Art. We will be accompanied by Nelson Herrera, an art historian, who will provide an overview of Cuban art and artists over the last four centuries.

12 pm              Walking tour of the Old City. Wander through the Plaza de Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana as well as important monuments. See the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from 1719. Visit the Plaza Vieja, surrounded by sumptuous houses of the Havana aristocracy from the 18th and 19th centuries. Visit Plaza de la Catedral and the Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Habana.

2 pm                Lunch at El Figaro. Located in the Barbers Alley, it offers a “hairless” food (so says its slogan) and modern cuisine. The restaurant features local seafood.

3:30 pm           Socio-economic discussion with urban planner Miguel Coyula, whose presentation will touch on housing, infrastructure, investment, and restoration programs. The lecture will help us understand the reasons Havana looks the way it does today and what changes we should anticipate in the future. At Saratoga Hotel

5 pm                Private performance and lecture on Cuban Music at Bar Asturias by Musicologist Alberto Faya. Professor Faya has been working as a musician, archivist, and researcher within the Cuban musical world for over thirty years. He will be joined by a quartet of some of the finest young jazz musicians in Cuba who will take us on a lively journey through the country’s musical history.

Evening free

Tuesday, May 29

9 am                Morning discussion on Cuban culture and literature with Susana Haug, professor of Latin American Literature at the University of Havana. Professor Haug is widely known in Cuba for her essays and books of poetry. At Altamira 

10:30 am         Visit with La Reina y La Real, a popular female hip hop/jazz duo. The group’s music and community activism focus on breaking down gender and racial stereotypes in Cuban society. The duo will welcome us into their modest home in the historic Luyano district of Havana, share their music, and discuss important issues in the lives of young Cuban women.

12 pm              Lunch Paladar San Cristobal. Located in the heart of Central Havana, this paladar has a reputation of excellence for both its atmosphere and local cuisine. Make sure to ask the owner to proudly show you where Barack and Michelle Obama sat during their historic visit to Cuba.

2 pm                Visit to the home and studio of plastic artist Fuster, who has converted his entire neighborhood into an art project featuring murals, mosaics, and plastic art.

4 pm                Enjoy a performance by Habana Compás Dance, which encompasses the rich rhythm and flow of the island, performing traditional and modern dances born from their Spanish, Cuban, and Afro-Cuban heritage.

10 pm             Relax at La Zorra y El Cuervo, one of Havana’s most celebrated jazz and Afro-Cuban music venues.

Wednesday, May 30

9 am                Depart for Cienfuegos, one of the country’s oldest and most beautiful cities, which is located approximately three hours from Havana. Cienfuegos, referred to as the “Pearl of the South,” is one of Cuba’s only cities to display French and Spanish architecture. Housed on one of the country’s largest Bays, the city offers beautiful ocean front landscapes, and is deeply rich in culture.

12:30 pm        Lunch at El Lagarto. With views and breezes from the bay of Cienfuegos, the location and cuisine of El Lagarto are exceptional.

2 pm                Discussion with the local chapter of UNEAC, the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba, a social, cultural and professional organization of writers, musicians, actors, and artists

3 pm               City Tour of Cienfuegos’ Historic Center, including visits to the main square, the beautiful Palacio Del Valle and Punta Gorda. Visit the renowned artist’s studios along the city’s central square.

4:30 pm          Continue to Trinidad, a UNESCO world heritage site, known for its cobble-stone streets, pastel colored homes and colonial-era edifices such as the Santísima Trinidad Cathedral and Convento de San Francisco

6 pm               Check-in at bed and breakfasts, known as casas particulares (private homes). Since the 1990s Cuban families have been permitted to rent rooms out of their family homes to foreigners. Featuring comfortable accommodations and very ample privacy, the casas provide an excellent way to interact with everyday Cubans. 

8 pm               Enjoy a home cooked meal prepared by your hosts.

Thursday, May 31 

10 am             Trinidad city tour with a local architect, historian, and restoration specialist, who will provide an overview of the city’s history from an architectural, economic and infrastructural point of view.

12:00 pm        Visit the 18th century home of Carlos Mata, “the painter of the night,” who collects and restores a wide range of antiques and collectibles. Mr. Mata will discuss his passion for antiques and talk about the famous Cuban artists he represents in his gallery. 

2:00 pm          Explore the beautiful, unspoiled Playa Ancon, the Caribbean beach located just south of Trinidad.

9:00 am           Enjoy a home-cooked, Cuban breakfast at your casa particulare.

12:30 pm         Check-out of casas and return to Havana.

4:30 pm           Check-in at the Hotel Capri.

7:30 pm           Dinner on the terrace at Río Mar, located in the Miramar neighborhood of Havana, with a view overlooking the Almendares river.

Saturday, June 2

10:00 am         Visit a centuries-old home in the Vedado neighborhood, where we’ll receive a tour by the owner.

11:00 am         Discussion with Marta Nunez, a prominent professor of sociology, about the Cuban education system and her recent research on how current economic reforms are affecting women in Cuba. At Altamira

Lunch and early afternoon free

5 pm                Visit to the home and studio of a family of artists, at AltaMira art loft. A few years ago, Edel Bordón and his family embarked on a journey to establish an art collective in their apartment building. Spearheaded by his wife, renowned sculptor Yamilé Pardo, the family created a unique art space, which features an exhibition and workspace in the main lobby. Enjoy a few Cuba Libres at their 10th floor apartment and gallery, where they receive guests and artists from all over the world.

6:30 pm           Private musical performance by renowned singer and songwriter Frank Delgado at Café Madrigal. Café Madrigal, owned and run by film director Rafael Rosales, is housed in a beautiful colonial mansion with walls lined with fascinating Cuban artwork. Enjoy tasty tapas and cocktails while discussing about the nueva trova movement in Cuba.

8 pm                Farewell dinner at Paladar Atelier. This restaurant is equally known for its atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. The lighting and textures of the house, which was home to a pre-revolutionary senator, coupled with walls adorned in modern art, create a cozy, but modern setting.

Sunday, June 3

Morning free   Check-out of hotel and depart for airport.