In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson began the first Negro History Week to raise awareness of Black history and to inform people about Black contributions to American history. He chose to hold it in the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, 19th-century figures who are synonymous with emancipation and Black suffrage.
Fifty years later, Gerald Ford became the first president to officially recognize Black History Month. Following his example, subsequent presidents have made annual proclamations during this celebratory month.
However, the mood entering the 100th anniversary of Black History Month this year has been dampened due to the Donald Trump administration actively erasing and attempting to deflate the contributions and hard fought civil rights that make up Black history in this country.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has been set on removing any form of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the federal government. That included removing thousands of pages under the Pentagon’s jurisdiction detailing the history and contributions of people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and women in the United States military. This included Jackie Robinson’s military service, the baseball player who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
In March 2025, Trump also targeted the Smithsonian Institution – particularly the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) – for allegedly focusing too much on the horrors of slavery and systemic racism. He signed an executive order directing a review of the exhibits to prohibit programs that “divide Americans based on race.”
The following April, a photo and quote of Harriet Tubman was removed from the Underground Railroad webpage on the National Park Service (NPS) website; however, after public backlash, the removed content was restored.
In December 2025, the NPS announced it would no longer provide free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Juneteenth – two prominent federal holidays honoring Black history – but would give free entrance on Trump’s birthday.
Two weeks ago, Trump ordered the removal of a slavery memorial in Philadelphia that honored the nine people who were enslaved by George Washington.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has been recently renamed as the Trump Kennedy Center, in previous years scheduled programming and performances dedicated to Black History Month, but this year has zero such events scheduled on the calendar for this February.
W. Gabriel Selassie I is an assistant professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Northridge, as well as the director of the Center for Southern California Studies, who has written extensively on Black California history. Selassie has a Ph.D. in American history and a master’s degree in African American Studies.
Looking at what the administration has been doing to rewrite certain aspects of American history, Selassie thinks that most Black people aren’t all that surprised.
“I think, generally, the Black population knew that voting for Trump was going to bring about significant problems in terms of its relationship with the Black community,” Selassie said. “Most Black people don’t think he’s very knowledgeable about Black history. … He probably wouldn’t even know the difference between the [NMAAHC] and any other museum in the United States.”
Instead, Selassie believes that it’s not just Trump alone but the people around the president who are pushing for these actions.
“For example, eliminating Black History Month events and programming from the Kennedy Center,” he said. “I don’t think Trump even knew what the Kennedy Center even did before he probably was elected.”
He could not say who exactly those people are, but said that from his perspective, it boils down to the idea that there are parts of American history that make people uncomfortable. But rather than learn about it or expose their children to it, they want to sanitize it.
A prime example of this is Trump’s attack on the Smithsonian and the NMAAHC.
In response to the administration’s argument that the museum focused too heavily on the horrors of slavery, Selassie points to the historic accuracy. The practice of slavery in this country should not be minimized.
“That alone would give you the idea that this isn’t about the history itself,” Selassie said. “What this is about is that you walk in and you feel uncomfortable looking at or thinking about certain aspects of American slavery. … How are you attacking a museum that is presenting historical facts which aren’t debatable?”
The removal of these exhibits and memorials teaching Black history diminishes the opportunity for everyone, including the average American, to learn about it. Being educated about our nation’s history provides context for understanding where we are in the present day and can give context in guiding decisions for the future.
“I think the Trump administration removing or trying to sanitize and whitewash American history does nothing to help young people who are finding their way, who will become leaders in America to make good decisions,” Selassie said.
“I think that’s what the Trump administration really doesn’t fundamentally understand, is that maybe you’re embarrassed today, but tomorrow, future generations who don’t understand America in its true historical context might be making some very bad decisions and mistakes that they may not necessarily have made if they receive a proper historical education.”
As a whole, he thinks that American society does a “fairly decent” job of keeping Black History Month as a focus when February rolls around. For example, he recently saw a 30-second spotlight on ESPN about Marcus Freeman, the first Black and first Asian biracial American coach to reach the college football finals.
Although it may not seem like a big deal, he said that anytime you can highlight someone else’s history, then that’s a good thing, but emphasized the importance of getting the facts right before making any posts on social media.
The advent of the Internet has made it easier for more people to learn about Black history on their own, but it’s also given way to plenty of misinformation. Selassie has seen countless memes on social media that portray history incorrectly, and has spent a lot of his time telling people that what’s being presented is false.
Even among his own students, the professor has had to work extra hard to convince his students that something they learned on TikTok, for instance, was not entirely accurate. All in all, he considers it a “mixed blessing.”
Despite the current “whitewashing” of Black history, Selassie does have some optimism for the future. He described how these things are part of a cycle – ethnic groups can experience pushback or backlash from one administration but receive support from another.
“One thing I can say is that nothing ever stays the same, and that you always have to be constantly vigilant so things will turn around,” Selassie said. “I imagine within the next couple of years, we’ll see a doubling down on our investment in ethnic group history, particularly Black history.”