NCNW Joins Civil Rights Groups To Unite To Defend Black History, Books, Art, and Culture

–As the Trump administration expands its efforts to erase Black history and sites of memory, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Civil Rights groups affirm the value of Black Americans and our history to America–

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the National Council of Negro Women joined a coalition of leading civil rights groups to announce they have signed onto an affirmation in defense of Black history, texts and art, as the Trump administration continues to attack the critical civic infrastructure that allows the public to understand that Black history is American history and that empowers all in the fight to protect democracy.

In response to a slew of executive orders targeting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Department of Education and diversity initiatives across the government, the coalition is sounding the alarm that the attempted mass erasure of Black history and culture is a key pre-condition for our ongoing anti-democratic slide. By affirming the core value of Black history and culture to American life, the group is outlining a path forward in defending valuable artifacts, books and sites of memory across the country and inviting allies to join the fight.

NCNW along with the African American Policy Forum, the National Urban League, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, the National Action Network, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Legal Defense Fund, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights all have united to affirm: “Racial inequality remains real; if we are not able to understand it, tell its history, and honor those who have risked everything to solve it, then we lose our capacity to carry the legacy, brilliance and resilience of these freedom fighters in our lives and to future generations. Democracy is a constant struggle, and the erasure of our history prevents us from fighting to preserve it.”

The affirmation kicks off the #HandsOffOurHistory / Freedom To Learn National Week of Action, which will culminate Saturday, May 3 in Washington, D.C. with a demonstration in defense of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a crown jewel of the Smithsonian system and a testament to the power of accurate, accessible Black history being recognized as integral to American History. The coalition is also asking people across the country to join in the demonstration from their communities by visiting their local museums and libraries, seeking out exhibitions and collections that uplift Black Americans and sharing photos online with the hashtag #HandsOffOurHistory.

More details on the activations — online, in-person and nationwide — can be found at www.freedomtolearn.net.

The full affirmation is as follows: “We affirm that Black history is American history, without which we cannot understand our country’s fight for freedom or secure a more democratic future. We must protect our history not just in books, schools, libraries, and universities, but also in museums, memorials, and remembrances that are sites of our national memory. The effort to erase Black voices, ideas, art and history is the effort to erase Black lives. Without Black history, we abandon our capacity to accurately assess the state of the republic or imagine a stronger one. Without Black history, we lose the important stories of resistance undertaken to defend our democracy and the tools we need to resist today. Without Black history, we forget how the civil rights movement created opportunities for other marginalized communities to secure equality and we limit our capacity to organize for justice now. Racial inequality remains real; if we are not able to understand it, tell its history, and honor those who have risked everything to solve it, then we lose our capacity to carry the legacy, brilliance and resilience of these freedom fighters in our lives and to future generations. Democracy is a constant struggle, and the erasure of our history prevents us from fighting to preserve it.”

NCNW is an “organization of organizations,” comprised of over 350 campus and community-based sections and 37 national women’s organizations that enlighten, inspire, and connect more than 2,000,000 women and men. Its mission is to lead, advocate for, and empower women of African descent, their families, and communities. It was founded in 1935 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an influential educator and activist, with Dr. Dorothy I. Height serving as president for over 50 years.