Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
    • Local
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Podcast

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

The Shutdown Standoff

Obama Fills the Void in a Fading Democratic Party

Sean “Diddy” Combs Sentenced to 50 Months as Court Weighs Acquitted Charges

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
The Windy City Word
  • Home
  • News
    1. Local
    2. View All

    Youth curfew vote stalled in Chicago City Council’s public safety committee

    Organizers, CBA Coalition pushback on proposed luxury hotel near Obama Presidential Center

    New petition calls for state oversight and new leadership at Roseland Community Hospital

    UFC Gym to replace shuttered Esporta in Morgan Park

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

  • Opinion

    Capitalize on Slower Car Dealership Sales in 2025

    The High Cost Of Wealth Worship

    What Every Black Child Needs in the World

    Changing the Game: Westside Mom Shares Bally’s Job Experience with Son

    The Subtle Signs of Emotional Abuse: 10 Common Patterns

  • Business

    Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology supplier diversity office to host procurement webinar for vendors

    Crusader Publisher host Ukrainian Tech Businessmen eyeing Gary investment

    Sims applauds $220,000 in local Back to Business grants

    New Hire360 partnership to support diversity in local trades

    Taking your small business to the next level

  • Health

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    COMMENTARY: Health Care is a Civil Rights Issue

  • Education

    Alabama’s CHOOSE Act: A Promise and a Responsibility

    After Plunge, Black Students Enroll in Harvard

    What Is Montessori Education?

    Nation’s Report Card Shows Drop in Reading, Math, and Science Scores

    The Lasting Impact of Bedtime Stories

  • Sports

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

    Conference Commissioners Discuss Name, Image, and Likeness in Washington

    Week 4 HBCU Football Recap: DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Wins Big

    Turning the Tide: Unity, History, and the Future of College Football in Mississippi

  • Podcast
The Windy City Word
Featured

“Hands Off Blacksonian,” Says Congressional Black Caucus

staffBy staffUpdated:No Comments5 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email

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.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Telegram Email
Previous ArticlePink Tariff? Black Women Hit Hardest by Trump’s Trade Moves
Next Article Democrats Take the Mic as Republicans Cancel Town Halls and Duck Constituents
staff

Related Posts

The Shutdown Standoff

Obama Fills the Void in a Fading Democratic Party

Sean “Diddy” Combs Sentenced to 50 Months as Court Weighs Acquitted Charges

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxFXtgzTu4U
Advertisement
Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjfvYnUXHuI
ABOUT US

 

The Windy City Word is a weekly newspaper that projects a positive image of the community it serves. It reflects life on the Greater West Side as seen by the people who live and work here.

OUR PICKS

Subaru Forester: Paw-some Wheels & Pet Features!

East West Classic Embraces History on Juneteenth

HEADLINES

MOST POPULAR

Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

A Question of a Government Shutdown?

Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

© 2025 The Windy City Word. Site Designed by No Regret Medai.
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.