Daisy Gatson Bates Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
Arkansas Act 304 of 2001 established Daisy Gatson Bates Day as an official state holiday on the third Monday in February, paired in the state-government holiday statute with George Washington’s Birthday. A 2025 Arkansas House resolution confirms that the observance continues annually and honors Bates for her civil-rights leadership, including her role during the 1957 integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School. The holiday scope is Arkansas state government and must not be represented as a federal holiday.
About Daisy Gatson Bates Day
Daisy Gatson Bates Day is an official Arkansas state-government holiday observed on the third Monday in February.
Arkansas established the holiday in 2001 to honor Daisy Gatson Bates, a civil-rights leader closely associated with the 1957 integration of Little Rock Central High School.
Why Daisy Gatson Bates Day matters
The observance honors Bates’s civic and civil-rights contributions in Arkansas and nationally.
Its legal scope is Arkansas state government. It should not be described as a separate federal holiday simply because it falls on the same third Monday in February as the federal Washington’s Birthday holiday.
History of Daisy Gatson Bates Day
Arkansas Act 304 of 2001 amended the state holiday law to establish Daisy Gatson Bates Day on the third Monday in February.
A 2025 Arkansas House resolution again recognized the annual observance and highlighted Bates’s role in the 1957 Little Rock Central High School integration crisis.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Arkansas General Assembly sponsors of House Bill 1204
Act 304 identifies the House and Senate sponsors of the bill that established the holiday.
Arkansas General Assembly
Arkansas Act 304 of 2001 (House Bill 1204)
Recognized the 2025 Daisy Gatson Bates Day and honored Bates’s continuing legacy.
Arkansas House of Representatives · House Resolution 1025
State of Arkansas
The holiday remains an Arkansas state-government observance; 2025 legislative material recognizes it as annually observed in the state.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe Daisy Gatson Bates Day
Use Arkansas legislative and historical sources to learn about Bates and the Little Rock integration crisis.
Treat civil-rights history factually and respectfully, keeping sourced historical description separate from present-day partisan advocacy.
For workplace closure or leave questions, use current Arkansas state-government rules rather than assuming the same effect applies to every employer or jurisdiction.
Daisy Gatson Bates Day Facts
Daisy Gatson Bates Day is an official Arkansas state-government holiday.
It is observed on the third Monday in February.
Arkansas established the holiday through Act 304 of 2001.
The holiday honors Daisy Gatson Bates and her civil-rights legacy, including her role during the 1957 Little Rock Central High School integration crisis.
Daisy Gatson Bates Day Messages
Remembering Daisy Gatson Bates and her place in Arkansas civil-rights history.
Honoring civic courage and the historical record with respect on Daisy Gatson Bates Day.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Arkansas General Assembly — Act 304 of 2001 (opens in a new tab)
State Law
Arkansas General Assembly — HR 1025 (2025) (opens in a new tab)
State Legislature Current Recognition
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Daisy Gatson Bates Day?
Third Monday in February in Arkansas; 16 February in 2026 The documented recurrence rule is: Third Monday in February in Arkansas.
Does Daisy Gatson Bates Day fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is Daisy Gatson Bates Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: Arkansas / official state-government holiday on the third Monday in February honoring civil-rights leader Daisy Gatson Bates. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Daisy Gatson Bates Day?
The reviewed sources identify Arkansas General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Arkansas General Assembly sponsors of House Bill 1204. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as State of Arkansas.
Is Daisy Gatson Bates Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: Arkansas / official state-government holiday on the third Monday in February honoring civil-rights leader Daisy Gatson Bates. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-04.
When is Daisy Gatson Bates Day?
Arkansas law places it on the third Monday in February.
Is Daisy Gatson Bates Day a federal holiday?
No. The legal holiday covered here is an Arkansas state-government holiday.
When was the holiday established?
Arkansas Act 304 of 2001 established Daisy Gatson Bates Day as an official state holiday.
Who was Daisy Gatson Bates?
She was a civil-rights leader who played a prominent role during the 1957 integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School.
Does the holiday always fall on the same calendar date?
No. It follows the third-Monday-in-February rule, so the date changes from year to year.
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