Latest news with #EmmettTill
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Censoring the Smithsonian, and History
To the Editor: Re 'Smithsonian Faces Sweeping Scrutiny' (Arts, Aug. 14): It is often said that history is told by the winners, and the White House's comprehensive review of Smithsonian exhibitions is a stark reminder of that enduring truth. Over the last several decades, history museums and historical societies have made great strides in presenting a fuller account of United States history, one that includes not only the perspectives of the victors and the dominant group, but also those of people of color and other marginalized communities. Some of these histories are difficult to confront, yet they are essential to understanding the complex and complicated nature of our past. Emmett Till's coffin, on display at the Museum of African American History and Culture, is a painful example of this. Many of these stories challenge the notion of American exceptionalism, which is President Trump's singular narrative of America's history. The administration's review will likely lead to the removal of exhibits that have forced us to confront the tragic and shameful chapters of our national story, leaving Americans with an incomplete and distorted portrait of the past. Julian Kenneth BraxtonBoston To the Editor: Sixty years ago, I was hired as a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Subsequently, I directed museums at Yale, in New Orleans and in New York. I was elected president of the American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums) and chaired the American branch of the International Council of Museums. Throughout my entire professional career, I witnessed how authoritarian regimes controlled the messages conveyed by museums through their exhibitions and programs. I was proud to tell my international colleagues that in the United States, museums do not hold to a party line. We were committed to transmitting the truth based on the facts. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Black America Web
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Emmett Till National Monument Could Lose Designation Due To DOJ Opinion
Source: Scott Olson / Getty Last week, the Department of Justice issued a legal opinion reversing nearly 100 years of legal precedent by allowing the president to revoke national monument designations if he feels the protection isn't warranted. There's growing concern among activists and former national parks officials that this ruling, along with proposed budget cuts and an executive order targeting 'improper ideology' in national parks and museums, could result in the closure of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument along with several other monuments dedicated to the civil rights movement. According to CBS News, the opinion comes as the Trump administration also seeks to cut nearly $1 billion in funding for the national parks and monuments. The opinion reverses a 1938 determination that monuments created by previous presidents under the Antiquities Act can't be revoked. As a result of the ruling and proposed budget cuts, there's concern that the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monuments could be at risk of closure should the monument designation be revoked or its funding be cut. The Emmett Till monument is still fairly recent, having only been given the national monument designation in 2023 during the Biden administration. The designation came after a years-long fight by Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, and several other community leaders. 'His badly decomposed body was taken from the water, and officials in this area wanted to have him buried immediately to sort of get rid of the evidence,' Spears explained to CBS. 'His mother insisted that he'd be sent back to Chicago, where they had an open casket funeral. And images of Till's badly decomposed body in that open casket really sparked the modern civil rights movement.' The monument consists of three sites: Graball Landing in Mississippi where Emmett's body was found; Sumner, Mississippi, where Till's confessed killers were tried and found not guilty in the local courthouse; and Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Illinois, where Till's open casket funeral was held. Spears told CBS News the monument was necessary to 'make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else's son ever again.' Source: Scott Olson / Getty This new ruling allows Trump to close and remove any monument that he feels doesn't present America in the best light. Given the Trump administration's tendency to use diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a catchall term to assault anything that celebrates Black people, concerns around national monuments dedicated to Black history are more than warranted. It doesn't help that White House spokesperson Anne Kelly basically confirmed that this was the plan in a statement sent to CBS News. 'Under President Trump's leadership, Secretary [Doug] Burgum is keeping our parks ready for peak season, ensuring they are in pristine condition for visitors, and restoring truth and sanity to depictions of American history in line with the President's Executive Order,' Kelly wrote. 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' the executive order Kelly made reference to, demands the removal of 'improper ideology' from national museums. It also ordered a review to 'determine whether, since January 1, 2020, public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology.' Given that the designation for the Emmett Till National Monument was given in 2023, it would be included in that review. Source: Scott Olson / Getty The order has already spurred concerns about the removal of several exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 'We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation,' Spears told CBS News. 'This is turning quickly into a dream deferred.' Former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams was involved in the designation of five national monuments under the Biden administration, including the Emmett Till monument. He strongly disagrees with the Trump administration's approach and believes that the potential closure of the Till monument would be 'very sad and egregious.' 'People don't like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,' Sams told CBS News. In addition to the Till monuments, quite a few of our national monuments are designed specifically to spotlight the sins of America's past. The Carlisle Indian Industrial School was made into a national monument in 2024 and is used to teach about America's questionable methods of assimilating Native Americans. In that same year, President Biden also designated the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot, where a group of white people burned down apartment homes in a predominantly Black neighborhood, as a national monument. Work is still in progress on the monument, and with the proposed budget cuts and executive order, it's unclear if that work will be finished. SEE ALSO: Jackie Robinson's Army History Erased In Trump's DEI Purge Poll Shows Companies Maintaing DEI Intiatives Have Better Reputations SEE ALSO Emmett Till National Monument Could Lose Designation Due To DOJ Opinion was originally published on
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Memorial to civil rights icon at risk amid Trump's anti-DEI drive
Donald Trump ''s administration has made moves that could lead to the removal of the Emmett Till national monument, risking public outcry. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by Elon Musk, recommended a nearly $1 billion cut to the National Park Service budget. A recent Justice Department opinion grants presidents the right to revoke national monument status, a power not held since the 1930s. These actions are seen as part of Donald Trump's broader effort to eradicate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values from public institutions. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, established in 2023, honors the Black teen murdered in 1955 and his mother, a civil rights icon.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Emmett Till memorial in Mississippi could be removed as part of DOGE-recommended $1 billion cuts to national parks
Moves made by Donald Trump 's administration could pave the way for the removal of a national monument honoring Emmett Till, an icon of the civil rights movement, risking a public outcry. Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly led by tech boss Elon Musk, has recommended slashing the budget of the National Park Service by nearly $1 billion. Meanwhile, a Justice Department opinion released earlier this month grants presidents the right to revoke the status of national monuments for the first time since the 1930s. Together, the two steps could mean the demise of the Till memorial as part of Trump's drive to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values from public institutions, a culture war that has seen him attack the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., for promoting 'improper, divisive or anti-American ideology' and attempt to remould the Kennedy Center according to his own tastes, among other targets. 'We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation,' historian Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, told CBS News. 'This is turning quickly into a dream deferred.' Till, a Black Chicagoan, was just 14 when he was kidnapped in Mississippi on the night of August 28, 1955, by two white men who accused him of behaving disrespectfully towards a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her grocery store earlier in the day as he visited family in the town of Money. The assailants were Bryant's husband, Roy, and his half-brother, John W Milam, who beat, tortured, and eventually murdered Till, dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River, from which it was recovered three days later. He was buried in Chicago, with his mother, Mamie, insisting on an open casket funeral while his killers went on to be acquitted by an all-white jury. Remembered as a martyr to racial prejudice in America by the civil rights marchers of the 1960s and immortalised in song by Bob Dylan, Till was finally awarded a monument dedicated to his memory and that of his mother by Joe Biden in 2023. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument covers three sites: Graball Landing in Mississippi, where Emmett's body was found; Sumner in the same state, where Bryant and Miliam were tried in the local courthouse; and Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Illinois, where the boy's funeral service was held. Spears and his colleagues were influential voices in seeking federal protection for those sites, which was granted by Biden and could now be stripped away by Trump. 'Let's make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else's son ever again,' the historian said in appealing for their upkeep. He likened the proposed DOGE cuts to the National Parks Service to 'amputating an arm for a hangnail.' Former National Park Service director Chuck Sams, who left his role earlier this year, said the loss of the Till memorial would be 'very sad and egregious.' 'People don't like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,' Sams said. 'And we, as Americans, have never been actually scared to do so, and I don't think we should be now. We look at our past, and we know that from our past mistakes that we have become stronger.' Other sites reportedly being considered for removal include the Chuckwalla and Sattitla Highlands national monuments in California, and the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, the latter due to its reputed uranium resources. White House spokesperson Anne Kelly responded to the threat to the monuments in a statement in which she said: 'Under President Trump's leadership, [Interior] Secretary [Doug] Burgum is keeping our parks ready for peak season, ensuring they are in pristine condition for visitors, and restoring truth and sanity to depictions of American history in line with the president's executive order. 'The president is simultaneously following through on his promise to 'Drill, Baby, Drill' and restore American energy dominance.'
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Emmett Till national monument at risk of removal from Trump's anti-DEI initiatives
Tallahatchie County, Mississippi — There are 138 National Monuments across the U.S., but for the first time in nearly 100 years, they're eligible to be sold for parts. This Juneteenth, some of the protected lands in jeopardy commemorate important moments in American civil rights history, including some newer monuments like the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. "We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation," said historian Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. "This is turning quickly into a dream deferred." Spears advocated for years, alongside several community members, to get federal protections for the areas in Mississippi and Chicago that tell the story of Emmett Till — a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was kidnapped in the middle of the night and brutally lynched in 1955 after reportedly whistling at a White woman while visiting family in Mississippi. "His badly decomposed body was taken from the water, and officials in this area wanted to have him buried immediately to sort of get rid of the evidence," Spears explained. "His mother insisted that he'd be sent back to Chicago, where they had an open casket funeral. And images of Till's badly decomposed body in that open casket really sparked the modern civil rights movement." Protections to preserve this history finally came in 2023, when a monument consisting of two sites in Mississippi and one in Illinois, was designated by former President Joe Biden. One site is located at Graball Landing along the Tallahatchie River near Glendora, Mississippi, where Till's body was found. The second is at the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where his confessed killers were found not guilty by an all-White jury. The third is located at Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, where Till's funeral was held. Spears says he and his colleagues have been working to expand the monument, not remove or shrink it. "Let's make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else's son ever again," Spears said. But just as the stroke of a president's pen preserved these areas, it could now take them away. A legal opinion released by the Justice Department earlier this month gives presidents the ability to revoke or shrink certain national monuments for the first time since the 1930s. The opinion comes as part of a movement against diversity, equity and inclusion, with some land reportedly under consideration to be used for mineral extractions. It's not just national monuments that are at risk. Under newly proposed budget cuts for the National Park Service of nearly $1 billion, Spears says more than 300 park sites would be forced to shut down. Those budget cuts could also potentially see the closure of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, according to Spears and former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. "It's like amputating an arm for a hangnail. It's a complete overreaction," Spears says. Sams says the agency has lost 13% of its staff already since he left his post earlier this year. Sams was involved in the designation of five different National Monuments signed by Biden, including the Till monument. He says if the monument were to close, it would be "very sad and egregious." "People don't like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,' Sams told CBS News. "And we, as Americans, have never been actually scared to do so, and I don't think we should be now. We look at our past, and we know that from our past mistakes that we have become stronger." Currently, the Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument — both located in California — are under consideration for revocation or being sold for parts. The Baaj Nwaavjo I'tāh Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is also under consideration reportedly due to its uranium supply. Judy Cummings is touring America's national monuments this summer with her daughter and granddaughter. They drove from Wisconsin to see the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument sites in North Mississippi. Asked about the potential for sites like this to close, Cummings said, "it makes me want to weep and it makes me furious at the same time." When asked about the potential removal of national monuments, White House spokesperson Anne Kelly told CBS News in a statement, "Under President Trump's leadership, Secretary Burgum is keeping our parks ready for peak season, ensuring they are in pristine condition for visitors, and restoring truth and sanity to depictions of American history in line with the President's Executive Order. The President is simultaneously following through on his promise to 'Drill, Baby, Drill' and restore American energy dominance." And in a separate statement provided to to CBS News, the Department of Interior said: "Under President Trump's leadership, we're advancing strategic reforms to maximize resources and improve park operations. These efforts will make our parks more efficient, better maintained, and more enjoyable for the American people, while keeping conservation efforts strong and effective. By modernizing how we manage assets and facilities, we're ensuring our parks can serve future generations even better." "You can't just do away with more than two-thirds of the National Park System because it makes sense from a government efficiency standpoint," Spears said. "That's not what we want." According to a recent study, about half of the current National Parks first began as National Monuments, including the iconic Grand Canyon. According to Spears, every $1 invested in a National Park site returns about $15 to the communities that it is located in. "That's an enormous, enormous return on investment," Spears said. It is also an investment in the visitors too. "I don't really have words," said Nicole Cummings, Judy's daughter. "I just kind of get goosebumps and it's just really powerful." 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