Charlottesville stops observance of Lee-Jackson Day

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Charlottesville no longer will observe a state holiday commemorating Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Media outlets report that City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Monday that stops the city's observance of Lee-Jackson Day. The council is expected to choose a replacement holiday for city workers at a later date.

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Before the vote, Susan Hathaway with the southern heritage advocacy group Virginia Flaggers spoke in opposition to ending the city's observance of the holiday.

The holiday is held the Friday before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Charlottesville joins several other localities that don't observe the holiday, including Richmond, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Hampton, Lynchburg and Norfolk.

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