Black Americans must push back against the Trump administration’s efforts to erase the past.Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to get The Daily Prospect Monday through Friday. [link removed]

[link removed]

**JUNE 19, 2026**

Click to read this email in your browser. [link removed]

Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken steps to attack, reimagine, and erase Black history in the federal government’s institutions. But those efforts cannot and will not dilute the importance celebrating Juneteenth or acknowledging the circumstances that birthed the holiday. It’s my hope that reflecting on Juneteenth’s past will allow us to appreciate its importance in our complicated, painful present. 

**–Naomi Bethune, writing fellow**

[link removed]

Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via AP

Marking Juneteenth [link removed]

This year, Juneteenth has been weighed down by the Trump administration’s efforts to erase Black history and undermine how Americans learn about historical facts and developments in national parks, schools, museums, and cultural institutions.

On Thursday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled [link removed] that the Trump administration could rework exhibits that tell the stories of the nine people who were enslaved by George Washington at the President’s House Site on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. The judges noted [link removed] that “These new panels are full of historical context. They highlight the momentous events that took place in the President’s House and the other sites at Independence National Historical Park.” However, historians and Philadelphia city officials claim [link removed] that the material has been whitewashed.

The original exhibits had been restored in January after a scathing ruling from a federal district court judge who likened the Trump administration’s actions to those of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s

**1984**. Immediately after the decision was handed down, the Trump administration appealed and was vindicated yesterday.

Such efforts to erase Black history and do away with diversity programs join dozens of other efforts that have occurred since Trump’s second term began. Attacking Black history, eradicating the accomplishments of Black Americans, and minimizing the impact of systemic racism on the nation’s social fabric is a gut-wrenching backdrop to recognizing Juneteenth in 2026, a holiday that already has roots in one of the gravest crimes against humanity.

Continue reading this story [link removed]

****ON OUR SITE****

A host of progressive groups have started pouring money into anew super PAC [link removed] counterbalance the AI industry’s influence in campaigns. 

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet disclosed a $950,000 loan to his campaign for governor, which campaign finance experts say creates a significant risk [link removed] of quid pro quo corruption.

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

Copyright (c) 2026 The American Prospect. All rights reserved.**The American Prospect, Inc., 1225 I Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC xxxxxx, United States**
You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for our service.
To opt out of membership messaging from the

**Prospect**, use our marketing opt-out form [link removed].
To manage your newsletter preferences, use our preference management page [link removed].
To unsubscribe from all American Prospect emails, including newsletters, follow this link to unsubscribe [link removed].

Sent to: [email protected]

Unsubscribe [link removed]

The American Prospect, Inc., 1225 I Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC xxxxxx, United States