At last count, 44 states have started debating whether to introduce bills that would limit what schools can teach about race and American history — Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the thing intimidating these states the most.
What the states are pushing to enact includes actions seen in years past, as well as components of Project 2025, the Trump administration’s vision for creating a Christian-nationalist blueprint to remake the federal government. What’s happened so far includes:
- DEI programs have been attacked across the country and forced to be dropped by many organizations, schools, and agencies
- All the military’s diversity programs have been shut down
- National museums are being reviewed and funds cut if they display and document US history that makes “America look bad” and makes white people uncomfortable
- $3.4 billion in federal grants have been cut or frozen for HBCUs, and public health research that affects Blacks and Black entrepreneurs
- Cultural centers at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) have been shuttered
- Black history information has been expunged from national websites ranging from the Dept. of Defense to the National Park Service
- Critical Race Theory has been demonized
- 591 books by Black authors have been banned from Pentagon-run schools and libraries.
What’s happening now is that Black history and culture is being lumped in with being “woke” and characterized as being divisive and anti-American. Some are calling Black activists “terrorists” in order to intimidate and clamp down on those supporting Black autonomy, equality, and equity. There are even Christian congregations stating they’ll not tithe to their church if the money goes toward paying Black reparations.
Sadly, none of this is new, as we’ve been through similar circumstances since the early days of our country, through Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said, “When datasets or historical materials disappear, it becomes harder to see and fix racial disparities — and every time, they were justified with new language and new fears. The terms change. The strategy doesn’t.”
That strategy is focused on one thing: ensuring that the status quo of white dominance, hierarchy, status, and privilege remain fixed in place with legislation, Supreme Court rulings, and presidential policy directives. “These steps are veiled attempts to rewrite and distort the narrative by removing any mention of the racist actions, words, and deeds that have shaped American history,” said Karsonya “Kaye” Whitehead, president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). “This regime is actively seeking to erase the lived experiences of Black people.”
What many see is the “sanitizing” of American history so that the skeletons in our national closet remain hidden from view and eventually forgotten. Like any family dynamic, the purpose is to present a front that only emphasizes “the good,” not “the bad and the ugly.” It’s all about image: the projection of a mythical narrative of wholesomeness, goodness, and virtuousness. This denial of lived experience has extraordinary negative implications economically, politically, educationally, health-wise, and culturally for the Black community.
There is no denying that African Americans have contributed significantly to the America we know today. The book Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievement and Ground-Breaking Events, by Dr. Jessie Carney Smith, states on the back cover that the book “…is a testimony to the rich but often overlooked history of Black life in America — and throughout the world. This vital collection includes thousands of personal success stories that still resonate today. It recognizes and honors both renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields — arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more.”
The book is a much-needed chronicle reminding everyone that the Black experience is inextricably interwoven with the entirety of American experience — something that can’t be diminished, whitewashed, or eradicated. African Americans are integral to American progress, innovation, and evolution.
The erasure actions and measures being undertaken by the current administration and various groups, agencies, and organizations are receiving backlash from multiple avenues that include lawsuits, demonstrations, and counter-political and judicial measures. Additionally, other steps are being taken:
- the archiving of all Black content on the internet,
- preservation of historical artifacts and sites, museums, and contributions,
- the restoration of digital and physical content that was removed, and
- ensuring that vital educational initiatives, programs, and cultural events remain active.
Then there’s the matter of the Black community as a whole and how they factor into American demographics. The World Data website reports that…
“The Black population in the United States has reached a historic milestone in 2025, with the latest US Census Bureau estimates revealing that 51.63 million people now identify as Black alone or in combination with another race, representing 15.2% of the total American population of 340.1 million. The Black community remains the second-largest racial group in America, trailing only the White population, and continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s cultural landscape, political dynamics, economic development, and social fabric. Understanding the demographic composition, geographic distribution, socioeconomic characteristics, and evolving identity patterns within the Black population becomes essential for policymakers, researchers, business leaders, educators, and community organizations seeking to address disparities and opportunities affecting this vital segment of American society.”
The importance of actively addressing and confronting erasure cannot be understated. The Black community is a sizeable voting block that could dramatically impact future outcomes at all levels of society. Unfortunately, not all within the Black community are in alignment with overall Black needs, civil rights, and protections.
Onyx Impact — a nonprofit research, education, and digital innovation hub dedicated to building healthier, safer, and more just digital spaces for Black communities — has reported that there is a system at work promoting Black disinformation. They’ve found that Black far-right activists are spreading the majority of disinformation within Black communities and engaging with the highest number of misleading narratives.
Mis- and disinformation are now commonplace in our country and considered a principal marketing tool. With the advent of technology, the dissemination of information is done on a vast scale that’s difficult to track in terms of veracity. Anyone can say anything, whether truthful, a lie, or a mashup of both. Who to trust and how to determine what’s real has become severely compromised.
Onyx Impact and other truth seekers are doing their best to identify and resource as many Black trusted messengers and media as possible, expose and discredit key bad actors in the primary Black disinformation networks, and aggressively counter revisionist history, civic disengagement, and disinformation narratives.
It’s a herculean task, and thankfully, there are other groups, initiatives, and projects providing resources such as The 10 Steps campaign, a nationwide mobilization project geared toward protecting democracy and giving citizens the courage and resources to resist false narratives and build stronger, more cohesive communities.
The opposite of erase is create: to enliven, to make real, to sustain. Stacey Abrams said, “We will all, at some point, encounter hurdles to gaining access and entry, moving up and conquering self-doubt; but on the other side is the capacity to own opportunity and tell our own story.” Let the story of African Americans ring true throughout the ages!
