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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 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 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 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. |
