Dear Reader,

Trump's attempt to erase Black History and censor the exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture isn't new, and it didn't start with him. For years, the celebration of Black History Month, especially among white conservatives, has always brought up the ire around "identity politics" and "special rights,"  and has been going on for decades.

During the George W.  Bush years, we saw the waning interest in "identity politics," creating both political and systematic disempowerment of marginalized groups, like people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and a disinterest in these histories and struggles. We also saw the gradual dismantling of affirmative action policies, like in 2003 when the Supreme Court split the difference on affirmative action, allowing the Bakke case on "reverse discrimination" to stand.

Obama's candidacy was thought to have marshaled America's dream of a "post-racial" era where race had finally become a "non-issue." Obama's election encapsulated for many whites both the physical and symbolic representation of Martin Luther King's vision, as articulated in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech during the 1963 March on Washington.

The creation of Black History Month was never intended by Dr. Carter Woodson, the Father of Black History,  to be divisive but rather to educate all Americans about African Americans' contributions to the U. S. It aimed to engage,  invite, and inform about the history as integral to American History.

Trump's attack on the National Museum of African American History and Culture is part and parcel of his agenda to erase history. Still, he can't because all marginalized people have found alternative ways to archive and tell the stories of their achievements.

For example,  African American museums are rare, and they represent a small percentage of all U.S. museums. As a distinctive "Black space," black museums are another way to honor Black History. These museums preserve the dignity and legacy of not only our huge icons but also our local and community heroes.  These museums are an investment in us. With the deliberate aims to erase Black  History, the unending attacks in Critical Race Theory, and the dismantling of all things associated with  DEI, we have found ways to preserve our rich stories where our photos, official records, and recordings are preserved in perpetuity—uncensored, unredacted, and unerased.

~ Rev. Irene Monroe