Black History Faces Renewed Threats Under Trump Administration

Less than a year into Donald Trump tenure as the 47th President of the United States, his aggressive push against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is already reshaping how Black history is preserved, taught, and supported on a national scale.

One of the administration’s first moves was ordering a comprehensive review of federal museums, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Officials criticized these institutions for being “out of control” and overly focused on “how horrible our country is,” citing their documentation of slavery and racial injustice.

The ripple effects have extended far beyond museum walls. Federal grant programs supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been cut, and cultural centers on predominantly white campuses have been shuttered, leaving Black students — and others who depend on these spaces — without vital academic and emotional support.

A review by Axios found that multiple federal websites, from the Department of Defense to the National Park Service, quietly removed pages dedicated to Black historical figures and events, including educational materials on Medgar Evers and the Tuskegee Airmen.

While public outcry prompted the restoration of some pages, the erasures echoed historical attempts to suppress Black narratives following Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement.

“When datasets or historical materials disappear, it becomes harder to see and fix racial disparities,” said Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “The terms change. The strategy doesn’t.”

Despite these setbacks, civil rights advocates say the pushback is strengthening collective resolve. National Urban League president Marc H. Morial believes the attempted erasure has only underscored the urgency of protecting the historical record.

“The attempt to erase history has made all of us more cognizant of the need to tell it,” Morial said.

In a recent op-ed for The Guardian, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and Onyx Impact founder and CEO Esosa Osa argued that safeguarding progress for Black Americans is a moral mandate, warning that “our nation’s future will not arrive on its own.

”They point to initiatives such as The 10 Steps campaign — a nationwide effort to strengthen democratic engagement — and Onyx Impact’s community empowerment programs as evidence of the collective power needed to confront misinformation and preserve truth.

“Together, we can preserve opportunity, honor truth, and strengthen our democracy for generations to come,” they wrote.