As the U.S. nears its 250th anniversary, a battle for the soul of U.S. history is unfolding. Last year, reports surfaced of the National Park Service scrubbing exhibits on Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad — a blatant attempt to sanitize the history of resistance against slavery.
While public outcry forced a partial walk-back, this erasure is a part of a broader crusade to whitewash history. It has been spurred in large part by an executive order from the Trump administration calling for “improper, divisive or anti-American ideology” to be removed from the Smithsonian. The aftermath of that executive order included the resignation of National Museum of African American History and Culture director, Kevin Young.
In response, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) on Feb. 26 introduced a resolution in Congress to protect Black history museums and cultural institutions. This move is not merely commemorative; it is a defensive shield for the “truth-tellers” who document the systemic nature of racism in the U.S. Pressley’s resolution demands federal protection and funding for these spaces, asserting that “without Black history, America has none.”…