Perry County Alabama declares Barack Obama holiday

December 30, 5:39 PMProgressive Politics ExaminerKaren Harper

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President-elect Barack Obama

Perry County, Alabama will celebrate the first Barack Obama holiday November 9, 2009.  The Perry County commission voted 4 to 1 to make the second Monday in November a county holiday honoring President-elect Barack Obama.  County offices will be closed on the holiday and approximately 40 workers will get holiday pay. 

The county has a small budget according to lone dissenter, Brett Harrison who explained the reason why he voted against the holiday.  Perry County has a population of just under 12,000 according to the 2000 census.  Over 70 % of Perry County voters cast their vote for Barack Obama during the November 4th election. 

Commissioner Albert Turner Jr., who sponsored the resolution calling for the holiday said, "We moved on that because of the historic nature of his election and the fact that this was a history-making event, having the first African descendent to be (elected) president of the United States". 

Some people have reacted negatively.  Some have called the holiday "sickening" though it's not clear what is sickening about it.  Some of us are left wondering why they couldn't have waited until he's in office a year or two.  Still, one only has to look at the number of state and local holidays celebrated annually in the U.S. to see that it is not that unusual for a county, city or state to honor individuals or events that mean little to the rest of us.  For example, Illinois celebrates Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday in March.  California and Colorado celebrate Cesar Chavez Day on March 31st.  Hawaii celebrates King kamehameha I Day on June 11th.  Utah celebrates Pioneer Day on July 24th, the anniversary of the day in 1847 when Brigham Young reached Salt Lake Valley.  

Perry County Alabama's decision to honor Barack Obama is how the county has chosen to remind its mostly black population that the nation has moved forward in a real way since the Civil Rights movement, much of which took place in the state.   

Alabama celebrates Confederate President Jefferson Davis' birthday on the first Monday in June and Robert E Lee's birthday. Perhaps the most surprising thing about Alabama state holidays is that there isn't one in honor of Paul "Bear" Bryant.  

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