By Lauren Burke
Seven members of the Congressional Black Caucus spoke exclusively to Black Press USA after the Caucus was briefed on issues related to protecting the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and other historic sites under the control of the National Parks Service that feature Black trailblazers. Their reactions were blunt. “House Democrats are working very closely with the Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights leaders throughout the country to put up a strong wall of defense and protect the Museum of African American History. There are several action items that we will roll out shortly all in service and making sure that the White House and the extremists cannot whitewash our history,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries exclusively told Black Press USA as he walked the stairs back to his office after the CBC’s weekly meeting. Two members, Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) also spoke at a March 29 event that had to be relocated after the office of Rep. Cleaver was informed that Cleaver and Bobby Scott (D-VA) were prohibited from speaking on education policy at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. Cleaver relayed the story to colleagues in the CBC’s April 9 meeting.
“I just heard from Congressman Cleaver that he had an event in his district with Congressman Scott as the invited speaker, and they were told they couldn’t hold it. I have never heard of a member of Congress not being able to speak in a government-owned building, notwithstanding the fact that this person is a ranking Democrat on the committee. They’ve taken it to the extreme. You know, this is not Nazi Germany. This is the United States of America,” Thompson pointedly said during an interview in a hallway in the U.S. Capitol. “I don’t know how it’s a threat to the government to have Bobby Scott speaking at the Truman Library. The only thing I can come up with is his skin color,” Rep. Cleaver said on the March 29 visit. Cleaver said that “the Truman Library was notified that they could not have the program” on March 26. The two spoke at Metropolitan Community College instead. A recent flip-flop by the Trump Administration involving the removal of a photo of Harriet Tubman on a National Parks Service website and the whitewashing of her historic acts was met with fury after a report in The Washington Post on April 6. The decision was reversed on April 8. “I’m hearing that people who work for the Park Service feel intimidated,” added Rep. Thompson as he referred to the experience of some National Park Service employees.
Trump’s March 27 Executive Order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” specifically targeted the National Museum of African American History. The March 27 directive was followed by an April 4 report that NMAAHC Director Kevin Young was leaving after four years. “Hands off Donald Trump! If you try to erase it, we will replace it. More importantly, Black people all across the country will rise up like a big black tsunami, unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” Rep. Kwesi Mfume (D-MD) said in an interview with Mfume told Black Press USA. NMAAHC opened in 2016 and is the most visited of all of the Smithsonian museums in the Nation’s Capital. The 10 millionth in-person visitor walked through the door on Sept. 30, 2023. A 7-day waiting list to visit is standard.
“No matter how hard he [Trump] tries to wipe out our history or us it is not going to be successful. I’m very concerned, I have the Pullman National Historic Park in my district,” said Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL). “The president better keep his hands off the museum and off of — not African American history — but American history. What makes America great is everything that’s in that library… because it shows what you can overcome and why and how we move forward to become a better nation,” said Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY). As he stood in a crowded hallway in the House Rayburn Building, his voice rose over the nearby crowd noise. “People need to understand, and the President needs to understand, that all of America is better when they go see those exhibits so that we don’t make the same mistakes. We shall never forget the past… keep your hands off of American history and the African American museum,” Meeks concluded.
On April 8, The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) released a statement that in part asserted that, it “calls on policymakers, educators, and citizens across the country to reject false narratives that seek to divide us. We must support institutions that honor our collective past and protect our shared future.” Changes to historic narratives or “whitewashing” have appeared on DoJ websites and beyond. “I think it’s one of the most ridiculous things this administration has done. The effort to rewrite or seriously distort history is an affront to America … It’s hard to imagine, but it is happening,” said Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL). What happens next is likely to represent an epic battle between the truth, who tells it, and who makes the decisions on matters of fact and history.
