As Atlanta prepares to honor one of its most iconic native sons in the days ahead, a national report highlights that two Southern states—Mississippi and Alabama—still combine the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Robert E. Lee Day on the same date.
Here in Georgia, state offices, schools, and many businesses across metro Atlanta will close on Monday, January 19, 2026, solely in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Georgia long ago moved away from linking any commemoration of the Confederate general to the federal holiday celebrating Dr. King, who was born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, and whose legacy of nonviolent civil rights activism continues to shape the city and nation…