February 2, 2025
Division of Protection’s intelligence company paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pleasure Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and Black Historical past Month.
The Military Corps of Engineers has adopted a federal pause on observances of Black Historical past Month and different celebrations, together with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, by canceling a Black Historical past Month program in Jacksonville, Florida, which led Jacksonville Metropolis Council member Rahman Johnson, a Black man who was supposed to talk on the occasion, to precise his disbelief.
In response to The Related Press, though Donald Trump made a present of recognizing February as Black Historical past Month in a Jan. 31 proclamation, the Division of Protection’s intelligence company had already paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pleasure Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and Black Historical past Month in response to Trump’s earlier govt order which instituted bans of range, fairness and inclusion applications within the federal office.
In response to Information 4 Jax, on Jan. 31, Johnson expressed his ideas on the abrupt cancellation of the Black Historical past Month occasion, saying that he was caught unexpectedly.
“I used to be honored they needed me to return and never solely do a presentation for his or her Corps for Black Historical past Month however as an instructional, reply some questions. I used to be floored,” Johnson mentioned. “It was nearly as if the declination or recension of that invitation was a swipe towards the entire alternatives of normalcy that now we have made not simply as African Individuals however as Individuals.”
The Military Corps of Engineers issued an announcement to the outlet, explaining why they cancelled the beforehand scheduled occasion.
“The U.S. Military Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District was directed by the DOD and USACE Headquarters to postpone all Range, Fairness, and Inclusion-related observance occasions and trainings till additional steering is obtained, in accordance with President Trump’s Govt Order (EO) issued January 20, 2025, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Authorities DEI Packages and Preferencing,” the Military Corps of Engineers mentioned.
In response to The New York Occasions, each the general public examine of Black historical past and the general public commentary of Black Historical past Month, which grew out of educator Carter G. Woodson’s celebration of Negro Historical past Week, an growth of the standard celebration of Frederick Douglass’ birthday in February, are in peril.
Though, as Martha Jones, a professor of historical past and a presidential scholar at Johns Hopkins College advised the outlet, the celebration of Black Historical past Month doesn’t should be sanctioned by the White Home to proceed being marked.
“Black Historical past Month existed lengthy earlier than presidents endorsed it, and it’ll proceed, even when presidents don’t,” Jones additionally added that “there’s an incredible deal to lament and even to decry” because it pertains to the suppression of Black historical past, which can also be American historical past.
Jones continued, “I discover it cowardly, the concept we might shrink from our previous. I consider we’re robust sufficient as a nation to know that previous, to make it a part of our histories, to show it, to learn it, to be taught it, and to nonetheless be a nation.”
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