AUSTIN, Texas – Confederate Heroes Day is a holiday celebrated in the South to honor confederate soldiers of the Civil War. In Texas, it falls on January 19 and is considered a state holiday. 

It’s a day many lawmakers have debated whether to acknowledge or remove from state calendars. 

It’s a heated conversation that’s gained even more traction following the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. During those moments a viral photo was captured of a man holding a Confederate flag inside of the U.S. Capitol. 

Bryan Register of the Texas Reconstruction Project said he wasn’t surprised by the act. 

Register believes Confederate monuments and statues are symbols that encourage behaviors seen on January 6 in D.C.

“When you consider what a monument is, it’s not a part of history. It doesn’t teach history, it doesn’t contain historical facts or historical interpretation or theories, or anything else. It’s not an historical document,” he said.

Register is a scholar who often leads protests across Texas calling on officials to remove Confederate statues and monuments. His protests consist of an information table with literature on the history of the Confederacy and its leaders – he’s all about the facts and helping people learn their history. 

Register started his research in 2017 following the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Everybody knows that we have racism in America, but I was one of the huge number of white people who thought racism was kinda implicit. And then all of a sudden a major American city is over run by literal Nazis who was gathered at a Confederate monument which is [what] Confederate monuments [were] always intended to be,” said Register.

Some lawmakers are hoping to abolish the holiday completely, in light of recent events at the Capitol. Register hopes the holiday is replaced to honor pro-union and pro-American soldiers.

"Paying homage to those who stood for their country during the 1860s instead of against our way of life," said Register.