National parks are places to learn about important historical figures and see nature. However, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) latest mandate is doing the opposite. They're trying to erase our history in real time.
The DOI is ordering all national parks to post new signs that use QR codes to ask visitors to report "any signs or other negative information about either past or living Americans…" While these may sound like innocent feedback forms, they're much more sinister.
The signs are making space for anti-Black folks to report any rangers or placards that discuss so-called negative information about the U.S., which undermines work already done and vetted for historical accuracy by the National Park Service. This move is part of a larger movement that's long been underway.
The erasure of Black history has been happening for decades, but the Trump-era anti-Black attacks have been happening since day one. The administration has spearheaded the removal of D.C.'s Black Lives Matter Plaza and targeted the Black Smithsonian. Here's what we need to remember.
While these efforts to erase Black history are intense, we must remember we are the keepers. We’ve never been able to trust them to teach our truths. Together, we can commit to preserving our history as we always have through community, education, and storytelling.