An official list of Mississippi state holidays doesn't include Great Americans Day, and a tweet for the holiday weekend last year made no mention of it.
But on Facebook and in interviews with BuzzFeed News, Biloxi officials insisted that it was established by the state legislature.
“That’s the state, the state called it Great Americans Day. The city of Biloxi celebrates MLK Day,” Biloxi Councilman Felix told BuzzFeed News, pointing to a parade and other events over the holiday weekend.
Vincent Creel, a spokesman for Biloxi, also stressed that the city hosts a number of MLK Day events.
“Biloxi, a city that appreciates and embraces diversity, is a longtime support and sponsor of the city’s hugely successful MLK celebration,” Creel told BuzzFeed News.
Gines, however, would not respond to questions on why the city’s Twitter account did not mention MLK Day. He said he also couldn't explain a previous city news release from 2010 that called MLK Day "Great Americans Day," the official city name for the holiday, according to a city ordinance years ago.
“I wasn’t elected then,” Gines said, stressing that he didn’t understand why there would be such public uproar about the tweet.
“I mean, you’re going to have a few assholes that are going to be like that, and that’s OK,” he added. “You’re free to take it up with the state."
Councilman Kenny Glavan, elected in 2013, said he had no idea where the term "Great Americans Day" came from and was not aware of the social media backlash the city was facing.
"As far as I’m concerned, we’re celebrating Martin Luther King Day. I’ve never heard of the city calling it that," he said of the Great Americans Day designation. What's more, Glavan added, he's ever heard of the state calling it that.
"My first reaction is it sounds like an error," he said, "but I don’t know."
The city lists Great Americans Day on in its ordinances, but not MLK Day. Biloxi officials voted to make it into a holiday on Dec. 31, 1985.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/2j9ISHb
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