Stonewall Jackson Tribute On MLK Day Sparks Outrage, Library Of Congress Responds

The Library of Congress incensed several Twitter users by posting a birthday tribute for Confederate general Stonewall Jackson on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Twitter users expressed their disappointment with some even calling it “horribly inappropriate.”

“Very disappointing. I thought the new logo was to make the LOC more accessible to Americans, reminding us that it’s OUR library, and express “an invitation for all to visit physically or virtually to take advantage of all the treasures within.” This is the opposite of that,” a user said.

“This is sickening. What this says about what our institutions of learning & historical representation hold dear & believe is horrifying,” another user said.

“Posting about a Confederate General on Martin Luther King day is gross. Definitely highlights your priorities though,” a user tweeted.

“Are you serious? Gross. Maybe it's time to pass the responsibilities for your social media presence onto someone else,” said another Twitter user.

Post the backlash, the Library of Congress issued a statement calling it “pre-programmed.”

“We published a post earlier today that was pre-programmed from our Today in History site about Stonewall Jackson because Jan. 21 was his date of birth. We sincerely regret publishing this tweet on the day that we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King. Jr,” the research library tweeted.

Stonewall Jackson, who served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War, was born on Jan.21, 1824 and owned slaves. He also belonged to a slave-owning family.

Know Southern History reported that though it was illegal to educate slaves in Virginia at that time, Jackson taught them to read so that they could read the bible. He took this step risking arrest for himself and the slaves.

According to History.net, Slaves came to know Jackson through these classes. Some also begged him to buy them.

In 2017, Jackson’s descendants asked for the removal of his statue.

“As two of the closest living relatives to Stonewall, we are writing today to ask for the removal of his statue, as well as the removal of all Confederate statues from Monument Avenue. They are overt symbols of racism and white supremacy, and the time is long overdue for them to depart from public display. Overnight, Baltimore has seen fit to take this action. Richmond should, too,” they wrote.

“We have learned about his reluctance to fight and his teaching at Sunday School to enslaved peoples in Lexington, Virginia, a potentially criminal activity at the time. We have learned how thoughtful and loving he was toward his family. But we cannot ignore his decision to own slaves, his decision to go to war for the Confederacy, and, ultimately, the fact that he was a white man fighting on the side of white supremacy,” they added.

Martin Luther King, on the other hand, worked towards ending the vestiges of slavery in the United States. MLK Day is s celebrated annually on the third Monday of January to mark the achievements and celebrate the life of the American civil rights activist.