Shhh. Don’t tell Trump it’s Juneteenth
The president might try to erase it, along with the rest of Black history that he's trying to obliterate
Ethan Parker 
This is an opinion column from 205focus.com.
I hesitated to write this piece, fearful of planting a seed in the president’s mind. Donald Trump is currently preoccupied with Iranian negotiations—a deal that looks remarkably similar to the 2015 framework he previously scrapped—and managing the fallout of a war he has yet to justify. It is a conflict that has claimed 13 young American lives and driven up the price of gas, leaving even his most dedicated supporters with questions.
A Pattern of Erasure
Between turning the White House into a stage for his own vanity and wasting hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds on an unnecessary ballroom, Trump’s focus remains on himself. His administration’s ongoing effort to systematically scrub Black history from the American narrative is both persistent and intentional. Whether he is trying to make America Jim Crow again, removing historical markers from national parks, or currying favor with select corporations, his agenda is clear: if the truth of our nation’s complex past makes his inner circle uncomfortable, he aims to erase it.
My fear is that Juneteenth is next on his target list. While he may be busy bullying global leaders at the G7 summit in France, it would be exactly like him to attempt to sign away a commemoration that honors our shared freedom.
Honoring the Legacy of Freedom
Juneteenth, signed into federal law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021, marks the moment in 1865 when news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In Alabama, the day gained formal recognition when Gov. Kay Ivey signed HB165 into law on May 9, 2025.
If you find yourself enjoying the day off, take a moment to appreciate why. Fire up the grill, spend time with your family, and talk to your children about this history. Just keep it quiet. We cannot afford to give the current administration any reason to attempt to strike this holiday from existence simply because it belongs to all of us.
