A proclamation made by President Donald Trump on Black History Month has been opposed by an expert. Like his predecessors over the past 30 years, President Trump issued a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month.
However, historians and scholars have criticized the statement for what it omits, arguing that it presents a sanitized version of Black Americans‘ role in the nation’s history.
Shaun Harper, a professor of education, business, and public policy at the University of Southern California, described Trump’s proclamation as “sanitized” and “incomplete,” according to The Huffington Post.
Harper criticized the omission of America’s history of racial injustice, saying, “Black history includes slavery, Jim Crow, segregated schooling, redlining, racial violence, and countless inequities. A proclamation that ignores these realities is inconsistent with previous years and fails to tell the full story.”
Trump’s statement broadly honors “black American patriots” but only names a select few—Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, and Tiger Woods—raising concerns about historical erasure.
Harper also pointed to Trump’s actions dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, calling his proclamation hollow.
“On his first day in office, Trump swiftly dismantled federal programs aimed at addressing racial inequities,” he said.
“You can’t wish us a ‘Happy Black History Month’ after disregarding the struggles of Black heroes and sheroes—it’s offensive.”
Dr. Kevin Gaines, interim director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia, reinforced these concerns, noting that Black History Month exists precisely to counter whitewashed narratives—something critics argue Trump’s proclamation fails to do.
