Respect for Our History

STEWARDS OF OUR EARTH

All of God’s Creation

Social Justice Committee, Holy Cross Parish, Mt. Airy, February 15, 2026

The popularization of Negro History Week after its creation in 1926 was, according to the noted African American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, “the single greatest accomplishment” in the movement “for the advancement of art and literature.” This month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of that commemoration, which in 1976 became known as Black History Month. (Still We Rise: Black History Is U.S. History, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/8/26)

History is an opportunity to know where we came from and where we want to go.

Yet in 2026, the presidential administration is erasing Black history at national museums and parks. “The National Park Service recently removed exhibits from Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park that honored the people enslaved by George Washington. Erected after years of Black-led advocacy campaigns, these exhibits were hard-won memorials.” (Judith LeBlanc, Executive Director, Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, 2/7/26)

Tom Schuster, director of Sierra Club’s Pennsylvania Chapter, released the following statement:

“A strong country does not attempt to ignore or paper over uncomfortable parts of our history. A good leader acknowledges past wrongs and learns from them. The reason our democracy has survived for 250 years is because we embraced the aspiration of forming a more perfect union through constant improvements to justice and civil rights for all people. We cannot backtrack from that. We cannot deny historic harms and pretend we have been perfect all along. This action smacks of cowardice, encourages ignorance, and is a recipe for failure.” (The Sylvanian, 

Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter Newsletter, February 2026 Issue)

Image Credit: Antonio Ibarra / Montana Kaimin “The U.S. Interior Department also ordered national parks to remove displays and signs about Native history -- including signs explaining our ancestors’ forced removal from the Grand Canyon and other parks….

Our stories cannot be erased or rewritten for political gain. We all must know our collective history in order to understand the injustices of today -- including continued targeting of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. Truth is not a threat to democracy. 

Take action today by sending a message to the head of the Department of the Interior, demanding he stop erasing Native and Black history.

We can learn from Jali Wicker, who was passing by as national park staff took down the Philadelphia exhibits on slavery. Wicker said: ‘You can try to erase our history, but we’re still going to survive. History has shown that; slavery has shown that.’

We will continue our ancestors’ struggles for dignity and justice. Together we can build a new kind of society which prioritizes equity, justice, and self-determination for all.” (Judith LeBlanc, Executive Director, Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, 2/7/26)

Comments on this column may be directed to the Social Justice Committee at socialjustice@holycrossphl.org. Click here for column archive.