Censoring History — An introduction
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived,” American memoirist and poet Maya Angelou once noted, “but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Like the entire history of humans on Earth, U.S. history is a chiaroscuro portrait-in-progress—dark veins contrasting with the bright hopes and ideals expressed in the country’s founding documents, stellar achievements, and 249 years of American political rhetoric. The letters and memoirs of those who sought refuge in, and contributed to, the building of the United States, also reflect this contrast of dark intertwined with light—as do many of the letters you will read in this Forum on “Censoring History.”
The federal government’s current review of the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibitions, collections, and private-sector contacts; its threats against many of the nation’s educational institutions; its continuing campaign to purge materials it regards as reflecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—which it has deemed anathema—from military academies, national parks, and federal agencies: all seem aimed at erasing elements of the United States national portrait that a relative few of the 347-million-plus members of the U.S. population would have the rest of us, and future generations, forget.
Though in our call for thoughts on this topic, we specifically asked readers to include any positive aspects they might see in the government actions mentioned above, only one of the dozens of women who responded made any such statement—and that correspondent, Teresa Peipins of Buffalo, NY, decidedly did not favor censorship. She noted, however, that “Censorship adds value to the written word. When a text is forbidden, the words are precious . . . [and] important enough to fight for.” In its own way, her thoughts align with all the others we received. Each letter reflected alarm, anxiety, and determination to preserve, and contribute to, the creation of the most accurate national portrait possible—one that will provide a true guide as the United States charts its future course.
“As historians, it is not our role to hide or rewrite the truth,” writes retired history teacher Janet Aguilar of Stevenson Ranch, CA. “Our responsibility is to confront it honestly, to seek understanding, to ask for forgiveness, and to strive to do better.” “Every authoritarian and dictatorial government on earth uses censorship as a major weapon to shape opinion, punish contrary views, and rewrite history,” former U.S. Foreign Service officer Margaret C. Pearson of Pittsboro, NC, observes. The Founding Fathers, she added, “knew that nothing would be more sacred for democracy’s survival than telling truth to power; but they also knew that speaking up took courage because censorship can produce self-censorship as people yield to popular pressure, family and job concerns.” But, for the courageous, there are remedies. “When books are censored, give out free copies of those books,” writes Oregon resident Mary Ann Shank. “When thoughts are silenced, shout your thoughts on every soapbox. March. Write. Let the world know that all the facets of our lives are still there.”
The current unparalleled attempts at censorship of national history in the United States are also of concern to people outside U.S. borders. Books, art, archaeology, the scientific study of lost civilizations: “all these forms of transmission [of knowledge of the past] should not be censored, for how can we understand life without knowledge of our heritage?” writes Corine Beauseigneur of Vezelois, France.” “Looking at history objectively is healthy and can only help us learn the lessons from the past,” writes Julia Griffin of Suffolk, UK. “Removing this objectivity will not only be detrimental to thinking and debate, but it also has the potential to increase the polarization amongst citizens who must already be feeling uneasy and angry at their government’s leadership and direction.”
It was impossible for us to publish all the concerned and thoughtful letters we received on this topic. I hope that all those whose thoughts do not appear below—and all others concerned about this topic—will use the Comment pane at the end of the Forum to continue this vital conversation . . . and add their thoughts on how to counter attempts at censorship. To lead into this important discussion, I give you the words of historian Margaret MacMillan, from her book Dangerous Games: The Uses and Abuses of History:
The past can be used for almost anything you want to do in the present. We abuse it when we create lies about the past or write histories that show only one perspective. We can draw our lessons carefully or badly. That does not mean we should not look to history for understanding, support, and help; it does mean that we should do so with care.
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
The Trump administration’s poison tentacles reaching into the bowels of America have a calculated and bigoted agenda. They are intent on leaving no truth unturned. Under the guise of Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, they are raping and pillaging the Smithsonian Institution. They are forcing dedicated curators, historians, artists, and educators to bastardize the facts. They think that by whitewashing history, no one will know the sins of the past. They criticize WOKE—call us snowflakes. Yet, they fear everything to the point that they are forcing us to live in their delusion. Shameful that this [approaching] 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding may ironically be the end of America as we know it. I feel powerless, yet still hopeful as I petition, protest, contact representatives and spread the word. At 71, I can’t believe I’m still fighting for justice and equality in a country that boasts freedom.
Penfield, NY
Coming to America from Lithuania in the late 1800s, my grandparents, encountering a toxic mix of eugenics, Social Darwinism, and xenophobia, were branded as peasants whose presence among true-blooded Americans could “mongrelize the race.”
Their shame drove them to render themselves invisible. They lopped off the stigma from their Lithuanian names, they pledged fealty to the Lutheran church, and they erased any mention of their own ethnic history—now a dangerous embarrassment that had to be be carefully repressed.
By the time I was born, all traces of our Lithuanian identity had been excised from the family body.
What difference might it have made to my father and his parents if they had been able to use the traditional ethnic stories as models for their own lives? It has been a source of inspiration to me, as an activist, to remember that in 1989 Lithuanians joined two million others to form a human chain across the three Baltic states to protest Soviet occupation in an act of joyful solidarity.
Censoring history in an effort to create a homogenized national identity risks erasing so many stories of hardship endured, and overcome. We need these stories, now more than ever.
Their shame drove them to render themselves invisible. They lopped off the stigma from their Lithuanian names, they pledged fealty to the Lutheran church, and they erased any mention of their own ethnic history—now a dangerous embarrassment that had to be be carefully repressed.
By the time I was born, all traces of our Lithuanian identity had been excised from the family body.
What difference might it have made to my father and his parents if they had been able to use the traditional ethnic stories as models for their own lives? It has been a source of inspiration to me, as an activist, to remember that in 1989 Lithuanians joined two million others to form a human chain across the three Baltic states to protest Soviet occupation in an act of joyful solidarity.
Censoring history in an effort to create a homogenized national identity risks erasing so many stories of hardship endured, and overcome. We need these stories, now more than ever.
Lock Haven, PA
White Out
It’s Labor Day weekend, and I’m trudging along the riverfront in Heidelberg, Germany. Taking a shortcut near the famous Old Bridge, I stumble upon a historical marker. It stands in an empty lot resembling a park. A couple sit on the grass, holding hands, while a dog walker struggles to control two hyper charges. I read. It’s the site of the Heidelberg Synagogue, destroyed by fire on Kristallnacht on November 10, 1938.
I stare at the marker, feeling a terrible sense of shame and foreboding. Back home in the United States, ignorance, hatred, and fear have exploded to take over the government. Half the country voted for migrant concentration camps and appear fine as transgender people and rainbow crosswalks are erased. Universities are punished for teaching that research and evidence matter, while museums are under attack for being America’s conscience. An ocean away, this space, this marker screams a warning, but the rot infecting the United States is deafening.
I stare at the names of Jewish citizens from Heidelberg who perished in the Holocaust. What will the markers and monuments say decades from now among the ruins of America’s concentration camps? Unless, of course, they are erased from history, too.
I stare at the marker, feeling a terrible sense of shame and foreboding. Back home in the United States, ignorance, hatred, and fear have exploded to take over the government. Half the country voted for migrant concentration camps and appear fine as transgender people and rainbow crosswalks are erased. Universities are punished for teaching that research and evidence matter, while museums are under attack for being America’s conscience. An ocean away, this space, this marker screams a warning, but the rot infecting the United States is deafening.
I stare at the names of Jewish citizens from Heidelberg who perished in the Holocaust. What will the markers and monuments say decades from now among the ruins of America’s concentration camps? Unless, of course, they are erased from history, too.
Boynton Beach, FL
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
The study of history, with all its ugliness, chaos, and shock value, should not be sanitized; it is the volatile nature of history that lends us perspective, creates empathy, and gives us pause to consider how we may avoid brutality and division moving forward. It opens our eyes to the meaning of such concepts as autocracy, dictatorship, genocide, ethnic cleansing, slavery. It makes us question the respective definitions of heroism, courage, protest—and the changing ways each has been interpreted over time, as humanity has evolved.
No, our feelings shouldn’t be spared. As just one example, fewer witnesses to the Holocaust survive, allowing ever more dangerous denial to spread. It is the same with older events, further removed from our day-to-day lives; the facts are still there to be discovered, though reading has certainly become less popular in our online world.
Schools should embrace classroom visits from docents at local museums and historic sites, or even local college and university history professors, to share the stories of history in person, in a far less costly and more practical manner than field trips. And, for those so inclined, bring back the summer reading list, with extra credit as incentive.
No, our feelings shouldn’t be spared. As just one example, fewer witnesses to the Holocaust survive, allowing ever more dangerous denial to spread. It is the same with older events, further removed from our day-to-day lives; the facts are still there to be discovered, though reading has certainly become less popular in our online world.
Schools should embrace classroom visits from docents at local museums and historic sites, or even local college and university history professors, to share the stories of history in person, in a far less costly and more practical manner than field trips. And, for those so inclined, bring back the summer reading list, with extra credit as incentive.
Waxhaw, NC
“As we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation’s founding, it is more important than ever that our national museums reflect” far more than “the unity, progress, and enduring values that define the American story.” Those aspects are important, but to obliterate facts and heritage that do not align with “the President’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism” is to deny upcoming generations an understanding of reality. It is impossible to appreciate and explain the truth of American history while ignoring historical divisiveness and the struggles against divisiveness that are a worthy and integral part of that history.
From one perspective, American exceptionalism has been a good thing, a diplomatic briefcase of values that has often guided the world in good ways. However, flaunting the term like a playground bully at home and abroad causes our country to come across as boorish and rude. In today’s chaotic world, the briefcase of American exceptionalism should involve defending human rights and justice as well as championing a sustainable future for everyone on this vulnerable planet.
From one perspective, American exceptionalism has been a good thing, a diplomatic briefcase of values that has often guided the world in good ways. However, flaunting the term like a playground bully at home and abroad causes our country to come across as boorish and rude. In today’s chaotic world, the briefcase of American exceptionalism should involve defending human rights and justice as well as championing a sustainable future for everyone on this vulnerable planet.
Birmingham, AL
The incarceration of 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II began with an Executive Order. Thousands of families were forced from their homes on the West Coast into desolate camps where they lived in ramshackle barracks behind barbed wire, surveilled by armed guards, cut off from the outside world. Their experiences are preserved in two California national historic sites: Manzanar and Tule Lake.
Today, because of a new Executive Order, their voices may once again be silenced: the Interior Department will remove all “inappropriate content” from national parks. Are the lived experiences of those who endured years imprisoned “inappropriate?”
As a researcher for the National Park Service (NPS), I helped write an exhibit about Tule Lake, sharing the memories of those who were held captive there to remind us of that great injustice, so that it would not happen again.
Tule Lake is only one of many vital NPS stories threatened with erasure under this draconian mandate.
The great value of our national parks lies in truthful telling about our country at sites that are open to all, and share the histories of all. These truths must not be smothered with myths, whitewashed by propaganda, or silenced by executive order.
Today, because of a new Executive Order, their voices may once again be silenced: the Interior Department will remove all “inappropriate content” from national parks. Are the lived experiences of those who endured years imprisoned “inappropriate?”
As a researcher for the National Park Service (NPS), I helped write an exhibit about Tule Lake, sharing the memories of those who were held captive there to remind us of that great injustice, so that it would not happen again.
Tule Lake is only one of many vital NPS stories threatened with erasure under this draconian mandate.
The great value of our national parks lies in truthful telling about our country at sites that are open to all, and share the histories of all. These truths must not be smothered with myths, whitewashed by propaganda, or silenced by executive order.
San Francisco, CA
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Every person is the story that they tell themselves. Accurate or not, the story is who they are. A national museum is the story a country’s people tell themselves and through which their culture(s), worldview(s), and value(s) are reflected. Even when it is inaccurate, the story is, or becomes, who they are.
The Smithsonian Institution enjoys a particular trust as the nation’s storyteller, and over its 179 years, the presence and absence of voices and images in the national story shifts. Interpretation and education about the story evolves. Moving two steps forward and one step backward—the story better reflects the lived reality.
This administration’s threatened actions against the Smithsonian Institution are a forced rewriting of the national story and a dismantling of its accuracy. Contradicting its calls for historical accuracy, the White House demands concessions to baseless, outdated viewpoints, like “American exceptionalism.”
Space in our individual and national stories for faults and complexity indicates maturity. It signals future growth.
Instead, this action pushes all of us back into fairy tales.
Examine your own stories. Commit to learning the truth of our collective stories. And for our future’s sake, bring those stories to every child you know.
The Smithsonian Institution enjoys a particular trust as the nation’s storyteller, and over its 179 years, the presence and absence of voices and images in the national story shifts. Interpretation and education about the story evolves. Moving two steps forward and one step backward—the story better reflects the lived reality.
This administration’s threatened actions against the Smithsonian Institution are a forced rewriting of the national story and a dismantling of its accuracy. Contradicting its calls for historical accuracy, the White House demands concessions to baseless, outdated viewpoints, like “American exceptionalism.”
Space in our individual and national stories for faults and complexity indicates maturity. It signals future growth.
Instead, this action pushes all of us back into fairy tales.
Examine your own stories. Commit to learning the truth of our collective stories. And for our future’s sake, bring those stories to every child you know.
Fort Washington, PA
From one Secretary to Another
I congratulate Ms. [Lindsey] Halligan [Special Assistant to President Trump] for having the balls her male cohorts lack. Hers being the first signature of endorsement on the dreadful letter aiming to deconstruct the treasured truths held by our beloved Smithsonian. Seems to me [that] the misters Haley and Vought ought to have been the first to endorse these instructions to [Smithsonian] Secretary, Dr. Lonnie Bunch. I’m guessing it is they who helped Trump and his whisperer, Steven Miller, formulate the plans to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian. That done, they handed the document to Staff Secretary Halligan to type it up? Women’s work, you know. Not that she doesn’t heartily endorse Stephen Miller’s Project 2025.
Note to Ms. Halligan: Want to really curry favor from the men you service? Suggest they rename the Smithsonian the Stevensonian Miller Museum of Alternative Trumpian History.
Ironic, this: while Ms. Halligan was running for Miss Colorado USA (2009), Dr. Bunch was being reappointed to the Commission for the Preservation of the White House. More irony? A highly revered historian and educator, Dr. Bunch was instrumental in the development of the Smithsonian’s permanent exhibition on the American presidency—doomed now to be reimagined if not removed altogether.
I congratulate Ms. [Lindsey] Halligan [Special Assistant to President Trump] for having the balls her male cohorts lack. Hers being the first signature of endorsement on the dreadful letter aiming to deconstruct the treasured truths held by our beloved Smithsonian. Seems to me [that] the misters Haley and Vought ought to have been the first to endorse these instructions to [Smithsonian] Secretary, Dr. Lonnie Bunch. I’m guessing it is they who helped Trump and his whisperer, Steven Miller, formulate the plans to remove “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian. That done, they handed the document to Staff Secretary Halligan to type it up? Women’s work, you know. Not that she doesn’t heartily endorse Stephen Miller’s Project 2025.
Note to Ms. Halligan: Want to really curry favor from the men you service? Suggest they rename the Smithsonian the Stevensonian Miller Museum of Alternative Trumpian History.
Ironic, this: while Ms. Halligan was running for Miss Colorado USA (2009), Dr. Bunch was being reappointed to the Commission for the Preservation of the White House. More irony? A highly revered historian and educator, Dr. Bunch was instrumental in the development of the Smithsonian’s permanent exhibition on the American presidency—doomed now to be reimagined if not removed altogether.
Santa Rosa, CA
The audacity to assert that the Smithsonian has a mere four months to implement the Trump administration’s content “corrections” implies not only that the knowledge and expertise of those who designed and displayed the collections at the Smithsonian is meaningless, but that the exhibits contained therein are somehow incorrect.
History is not a marketing campaign—it’s an assortment of events documented and interpreted according to those who did the documenting and interpreting at the time.
The only meaningful way to correct mistakes we have made in the past (as a society or as individuals) is to acknowledge and accept those mistakes, learn from them, and do better moving forward.
Censoring is revisionist history at its worst… If we deny our past, we ignore our mistakes, and we risk denying and ignoring the experiences of entire groups and generations of people.
No one will deny that Mr. Trump knows how to conduct and preserve his businesses – including how to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times and remain a billionaire.
History, even revisionist history, is not in Mr. Trump’s realm of expertise.
Controlling revisionist history, however, is clearly a requisite of a Supreme Leader.
History is not a marketing campaign—it’s an assortment of events documented and interpreted according to those who did the documenting and interpreting at the time.
The only meaningful way to correct mistakes we have made in the past (as a society or as individuals) is to acknowledge and accept those mistakes, learn from them, and do better moving forward.
Censoring is revisionist history at its worst… If we deny our past, we ignore our mistakes, and we risk denying and ignoring the experiences of entire groups and generations of people.
No one will deny that Mr. Trump knows how to conduct and preserve his businesses – including how to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times and remain a billionaire.
History, even revisionist history, is not in Mr. Trump’s realm of expertise.
Controlling revisionist history, however, is clearly a requisite of a Supreme Leader.
Alliston, Ontario, Canada
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
The Trump administration may try to deny history, to alter or even omit parts of our past, but their efforts will fail. History is not for us to tinker with or even to like, but to learn from. My late mother’s family is from a rural part of Alabama. I’m old enough to remember the vestiges of Jim Crow that I witnessed during our summer visits. “Colored only” signs lingered at stores and public places. Talk of cross burnings disturbed me. Slavery really occurred, starting with the first group of Angolans who arrived in 1619 in Jamestown, VA. Slaves endured years of brutality, cruelty, and inhumane treatment. Humans, including children, were auctioned off like cattle. Slaves were considered less than human, upheld by a Supreme Court ruling in 1857 called the Dred Scott decision. That’s part of our history. After slavery ended, legal segregation became part of the landscape, particularly in the South. TV coverage of armed National Guard members escorting Black children to white schools shocked my childhood conscience. Learning that people cheered at lynchings sickened me. Even with all his bluster, Donald Trump cannot hide from the truth. No lie lives forever. Leave our museums alone, please.
Phoenix, AZ
How to Define and Survive Self-Censorship, Worst Case Scenarios: a List
The most insidious and purposeful effects of governmental censorship are self-censorship and the damage external censorship does to one’s soul.
Symptoms:
Active:
Avoid art and people considered “subversive”
Stop creating works that “might” provoke negative government response
Stop openly talking about “dangerous” subjects
Lack confidence in your work
Psychological:
Keep yourself from thinking/imagining about anything “provocative”:
books to read, films to see, stories to write
Feel shame and/or frustrated anger at ourselves and society
Lash out
Causes:
Internalizing constant external media and legal pressure
Lack opportunities to showcase your work
Fear, their most effective weapon:
Psychological fear:
Self-doubt and hopelessness
Shunning by colleagues/loss of friends
Physical danger
Blacklisting
Restriction of funds (grants, sales)
Lawsuits
Public attacks
Prison (cf. Vaclav Havel)
Death (cf. Meyerhold/Russia)
Here are some thoughts to keep soul and sanity:
Enter survival mode like so many minorities over the centuries, communicating in code and metaphor
Read fantasy and speculative fiction to keep your imagination alive
Adopt samizdat methods of circulating work
Acknowledge you’re stopping yourself
Organize with lawsuits, public condemnation
Adopt a F*ck ’em attitude
Find a private creative space
Find like-minded colleagues.
Never be ashamed if you can’t do any of this. It is very, very hard.
Symptoms:
Active:
Avoid art and people considered “subversive”
Stop creating works that “might” provoke negative government response
Stop openly talking about “dangerous” subjects
Lack confidence in your work
Psychological:
Keep yourself from thinking/imagining about anything “provocative”:
books to read, films to see, stories to write
Feel shame and/or frustrated anger at ourselves and society
Lash out
Causes:
Internalizing constant external media and legal pressure
Lack opportunities to showcase your work
Fear, their most effective weapon:
Psychological fear:
Self-doubt and hopelessness
Shunning by colleagues/loss of friends
Physical danger
Blacklisting
Restriction of funds (grants, sales)
Lawsuits
Public attacks
Prison (cf. Vaclav Havel)
Death (cf. Meyerhold/Russia)
Here are some thoughts to keep soul and sanity:
Enter survival mode like so many minorities over the centuries, communicating in code and metaphor
Read fantasy and speculative fiction to keep your imagination alive
Adopt samizdat methods of circulating work
Acknowledge you’re stopping yourself
Organize with lawsuits, public condemnation
Adopt a F*ck ’em attitude
Find a private creative space
Find like-minded colleagues.
Never be ashamed if you can’t do any of this. It is very, very hard.
Brooklyn, NY
The Trump administration’s effort to rewrite history is among the most dangerous of his many censorship actions, and that is saying a lot given that we’re seeing historic rates of measles infections–and deaths–due to his administration’s censorship of research in the sciences. Trump’s federal agency heads have terminated thousands of grants that would surface so many buried stories. Now their censorship grasp has extended to exhibits in national parks and the Smithsonian, which will only result in depriving the general public of important information they are entitled to and desperately need.
U.S. citizens have generally been taught an impoverished version of history, reinforced by popular culture. Restricting our ability to learn about our past and erasing or distorting existing historical accounts intentionally impede our society’s ability to reckon with that complex record. Historically accurate information presented in parks and museums provides a counterforce, offering a more complete account in a setting where new knowledge can be comfortably considered. These unique and powerful means to broaden understanding must be protected and extended. A widespread, shared understanding of our country’s journey from yesterday to today is essential for building a future in which we can all live well.
U.S. citizens have generally been taught an impoverished version of history, reinforced by popular culture. Restricting our ability to learn about our past and erasing or distorting existing historical accounts intentionally impede our society’s ability to reckon with that complex record. Historically accurate information presented in parks and museums provides a counterforce, offering a more complete account in a setting where new knowledge can be comfortably considered. These unique and powerful means to broaden understanding must be protected and extended. A widespread, shared understanding of our country’s journey from yesterday to today is essential for building a future in which we can all live well.
San Francisco, CA
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
There are no exceptions to telling the truth. There is no excuse for censorship. Were I denied the book The Diary of Anne Frank as a young girl, I would not have developed the rejection of [the] anti-Semitism that issued from my father whenever he needed to blame a Jewish competitor who got the job instead of him. Had I not read The Red Badge of Courage as a high school student, I wonder if the pacifism I maintain today could have guided the resistance to the Vietnam War I carried into protests and marches in which I participated. My regret is that I never read The Yellow Wife before my sixties, when I had many friends of color and was naive to their possible abuse. The book hadn’t been published much before then, but had it been, I would have been exposed to the graphic horrors of slavery that Gone with the Wind had concealed (though my parish priest disapproved of that one as well).
Newport, RI
(Re)Envisioning History. His. Story. To see with new eyes, new “I’s.” We who collectively awakened to our(real)selves in the late 1960s, early 1970s, surged with a fire that would never be invisible again. It was as if the alarm had sounded and our eyes/I’s woke up. We, people of color (what a term), women, immigrants, anti-war, anti-capitalist, queers, prisoners, farmworkers, earth activists, and more, suddenly took note of ourselves and each other. We met each other’s eyes/I’s and saw in each other the lie(s) of His. Story. We listened deeply to each other. We heard Story. We learned difference. We found kinship. We felt humble respect for each other. We felt understood. Even. Without. Words. We felt our hearts, and the hearts of our communities. We felt love. And grief. Love-and-grief. The creative/original and critical impulse of all we did. We began to realize individual/collective self-determination. Autonomy. Sovereignty, as Native Nations still say. We felt solidarity from like-minded/hearted white sisters and brothers. We strengthened kinship more broadly, remembering always our more-than-human relations. We re-visioned His. Story. We write and defend Our Stories. The earth witnesses, carries, and protects them. After that there can never be a turning back.
Woodland, CA
As a Christian, it is daily on my heart why so many Christians voted for Donald Trump in both elections. I believe that God’s Creation is one of continuous diversity and that God loves diversity, having created all species, all genuses, all subspecies, all universes, etc. I also believe it is a Christian’s duty to honor and protect this diversity. Any effort to limit narratives of diversity and to rewrite or to deny those narratives altogether is a grave error. President Trump’s efforts to redefine our national history, and to undermine the Smithsonian’s efforts to preserve that history honoring all narratives, is yet another example of a purging of information in order to control the national mind. The government shows a profound disrespect for the efforts of trained museum experts to honor the difficult as well as the pretty side of our nation’s struggles. It also shows a profound disrespect for humanity in general. Whitewashing history is still one more assault on the truth.
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Oxnard, CA
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
One day, when I was seven, my mother and I walked to Woolworth’s to buy toothpaste. Outside the store, a group of people bundled in warm coats and hats, marched in a circle. They held signs saying, “Don’t shop here. Boycott Woolworth’s.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
My mother said, “Woolworth’s doesn’t allow Black people to eat at the lunch counter. That is wrong. We will not shop here.”
I knew from her serious tone that this was a moment of grave importance and that, in some small way, we were both part of it. Moments like this in our own memories and in the history of our nation must not be erased. We need to understand our collective past in order to make lives better for all of us today.
Years ago, our teachers taught us that the United States was a melting pot. People with diverse backgrounds were like ingredients in one large pot simmering on the stove. As time passed, we blended into a delicious stew and all could partake of the bounty. Though that seems naive and idealistic now, we must learn from our history in order to move forward in freedom, justice, and strength.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
My mother said, “Woolworth’s doesn’t allow Black people to eat at the lunch counter. That is wrong. We will not shop here.”
I knew from her serious tone that this was a moment of grave importance and that, in some small way, we were both part of it. Moments like this in our own memories and in the history of our nation must not be erased. We need to understand our collective past in order to make lives better for all of us today.
Years ago, our teachers taught us that the United States was a melting pot. People with diverse backgrounds were like ingredients in one large pot simmering on the stove. As time passed, we blended into a delicious stew and all could partake of the bounty. Though that seems naive and idealistic now, we must learn from our history in order to move forward in freedom, justice, and strength.
Newtonville, MA
Imagine an African-American child walking into a museum or reading an American history textbook and not seeing herself because our government decided the censorship of history is the “New America.” The erasure of the contributions made by my people and other people of color to this country says we do not exist. With this whitewashing of events in American history, people will have a skewed view of how America was born.
However, with all the negativity that is taking place, something good and positive could happen. With the nation’s renowned museums dismantling exhibits, it may now be up to Black churches, fraternities, and sororities to fill the “history” void. These organizations can retell the stories of the historical figures and their contributions to our country in creative environments such as after-school and weekend programs. A new type of curator can create small “storefront museums,” complete with photographs, artworks, books, and writings, open to people of all ages.
Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” It is this struggle everyone must fight to ensure that whatever this “New America” censors will not prevent those whose histories face erasure from keeping their legacies intact.
However, with all the negativity that is taking place, something good and positive could happen. With the nation’s renowned museums dismantling exhibits, it may now be up to Black churches, fraternities, and sororities to fill the “history” void. These organizations can retell the stories of the historical figures and their contributions to our country in creative environments such as after-school and weekend programs. A new type of curator can create small “storefront museums,” complete with photographs, artworks, books, and writings, open to people of all ages.
Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” It is this struggle everyone must fight to ensure that whatever this “New America” censors will not prevent those whose histories face erasure from keeping their legacies intact.
Los Angeles, CA
In March of this year, I visited my 91-year-old sister in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. On Monday after the festivities, I went to the Tulsa airport to return to Colorado. As I walked to my gate, I came across a popup bookstore that I gladly visited. The bookstore owner had arranged a shelf of books that had been banned in the state of Oklahoma. It was her way of educating all who passed what the reality of banned books looked like. One of the books was one that I treasured in sixth grade, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book opened a world that I had no way of knowing before. Later in life, I had the pleasure of meeting Maya Angelou, the poet, activist, and author. Censoring books is censoring ideas, classic books, and worlds for children. I applaud the bookstore owner at Tulsa Airport who made a stand against censored books. We must inspire ourselves to do the same and vocalize our objections to such bans to our local government legislators.
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Merry Song of Eugene, OR, deals with her outrage by photographing the expressions of others. She has found that the antidote to political despair is creative action. Song uses creative writing and dreamwork to lead spiritual discovery workshops on Zoom. She can be contacted at merrysong@centerforsacredsciences.org.
Lakewood, CO
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Sanitizing U.S. history is not new. How many of us baby boomers studied about Harriet Tubman or even the abolitionists in K-12 classrooms? Unless you’re a history teacher or a really dedicated researcher, how many of our generation today can name white anti-racists beyond John Brown (that violent extremist!) or perhaps Angelina Grimke?
And even though MLK’s birthday became a national holiday in 1987, how many public commemorations honor his stand against militarism and poverty?
But suppressing or sidestepping the truth of what happened is one step short of denying or outlawing it. What’s new here is the outspoken officialdom of censorship—and of course, how selective is that denial.
Trump’s level of selective censorship is troublingly consistent with fascist regimes of the past century (Hitler, Orban, etc.). It also matters what histories he is so laser-focused on burying.
Social justice movements are what gave us a more complete version of U.S. history in classrooms, museums, and libraries today, and that’s what he and his MAGA minions want to stamp out. Histories of group discrimination and dissent—especially those connected to race, gender, sexuality— are the primary targets (except of course when the supposedly discriminated-against group is white heterosexual cis-men).
How to abort this new censoring of history? I wish to the goddess I knew! I shudder to think of the kinds of classrooms my little granddaughter may inherit.
My best advice comes from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the youth-led group that broke down legal segregation in the 1960s.“Each one, teach one,” was their approach when they started freedom schools across the South. Their work also reminds us to “keep on keeping on.”
And even though MLK’s birthday became a national holiday in 1987, how many public commemorations honor his stand against militarism and poverty?
But suppressing or sidestepping the truth of what happened is one step short of denying or outlawing it. What’s new here is the outspoken officialdom of censorship—and of course, how selective is that denial.
Trump’s level of selective censorship is troublingly consistent with fascist regimes of the past century (Hitler, Orban, etc.). It also matters what histories he is so laser-focused on burying.
Social justice movements are what gave us a more complete version of U.S. history in classrooms, museums, and libraries today, and that’s what he and his MAGA minions want to stamp out. Histories of group discrimination and dissent—especially those connected to race, gender, sexuality— are the primary targets (except of course when the supposedly discriminated-against group is white heterosexual cis-men).
How to abort this new censoring of history? I wish to the goddess I knew! I shudder to think of the kinds of classrooms my little granddaughter may inherit.
My best advice comes from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the youth-led group that broke down legal segregation in the 1960s.“Each one, teach one,” was their approach when they started freedom schools across the South. Their work also reminds us to “keep on keeping on.”
Louisville, KY
Woolworth’s. Biloxi. 1961. Mom shopped for sewing supplies at the front of the store. Paul, six, and I, eight, wandered to the back. Mom trusted that we’d keep our hands off the merchandise. Those were rules we’d learned growing up primarily in the Northeast.
We stood before two water fountains. Signs were posted above each: “White” and
“Colored.”
I dared Paul. “Take a drink from the white fountain.” Mom and Paul were fair skinned. Dad and I were not.
He stepped towards it.
“Stop.” I put my hand on his arm. I understood what Paul didn’t: we can’t drink from the water fountain labeled “White.” It’s against the law. If we were caught, Mom might get in trouble. As would Dad, a sergeant in the military. I couldn’t jeopardize my family.
Mom found us. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” I replied.
My story represents one American experience. Censorship denies the value of story.
A question: “Whose stories hold the most value?”
Our government must promote the integrity of all documents, books, artifacts, and forms of art. Without fear, condemnation, or ridicule, all individuals must be allowed to read, enjoy, create, evaluate, and choose.
It must honor and celebrate all our American stories.
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Rosie Sorenson’s award-winning book shines a piercing light on medical error and the power of advocacy. If You’d Only Listen plunges readers into the chaos and confusion that can accompany a critical medical journey. Rosie’s “midwestern tomboy grit” is tested at every turn as she confronts misdiagnoses, communication failures, and a system that often seemed more adversarial than supportive. Through a combination of fierce advocacy, meticulous note-taking, and an unyielding refusal to be ignored, Rosie became her husband Steve’s lifeline—catching errors, asking the hard questions, and refusing to accept vague answers or dismissals.
If You’d Only Listen is not just a memoir—it’s a survival guide for anyone who may one day find themselves fighting for a loved one’s life. The Addendum provides a deep dive into the realities of medical error, the influence of private equity in healthcare, and the pervasive issue of racial bias. Rosie offers practical recommendations for families: how to be an effective advocate, which questions to ask, and how to keep a loved one safe in the hospital.
Rosie’s courage, resilience, and unwavering love remind us that, even in the darkest hours, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
“I don’t know how the author survived all these harrowing events and kept her sanity and sense of humor. She’s one tough cookie,” Robert A. Nozik, M.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco.
Available from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Passage, and your local independent bookstore.
We stood before two water fountains. Signs were posted above each: “White” and
“Colored.”
I dared Paul. “Take a drink from the white fountain.” Mom and Paul were fair skinned. Dad and I were not.
He stepped towards it.
“Stop.” I put my hand on his arm. I understood what Paul didn’t: we can’t drink from the water fountain labeled “White.” It’s against the law. If we were caught, Mom might get in trouble. As would Dad, a sergeant in the military. I couldn’t jeopardize my family.
Mom found us. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” I replied.
My story represents one American experience. Censorship denies the value of story.
A question: “Whose stories hold the most value?”
Our government must promote the integrity of all documents, books, artifacts, and forms of art. Without fear, condemnation, or ridicule, all individuals must be allowed to read, enjoy, create, evaluate, and choose.
It must honor and celebrate all our American stories.
Tarrytown, NY
It is 2015, and I am subbing at a local school. I share with a colleague [the name of the candidate] I am voting for in the upcoming school board election. She stops me with a warning that “We don’t talk about matters like that.” What? At a school? In the teacher’s lounge? We’re not allowed to talk about our school board?
It is 2024, and I am a special ed teacher at a school with many immigrants, and I am involved with a local organization that supports them. The counselor tells me that we are not allowed to distribute our phone numbers to assist if someone is being detained. It has become wrong to offer a helping hand.
Today, I still teach. I am also a human rights activist for Palestinians. My favorite comedian is banned from a show in Singapore during his Asian tour. They had already disapproved of his first submission and they said he could try again. They are not specific about what changes need to be made. They give him four hours to fix it to their liking. The Singaporean government denies any censorship. His only crime, they say, is that he turned in the assignment late.
It is 2024, and I am a special ed teacher at a school with many immigrants, and I am involved with a local organization that supports them. The counselor tells me that we are not allowed to distribute our phone numbers to assist if someone is being detained. It has become wrong to offer a helping hand.
Today, I still teach. I am also a human rights activist for Palestinians. My favorite comedian is banned from a show in Singapore during his Asian tour. They had already disapproved of his first submission and they said he could try again. They are not specific about what changes need to be made. They give him four hours to fix it to their liking. The Singaporean government denies any censorship. His only crime, they say, is that he turned in the assignment late.
Austin, TX
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
Throughout history, authoritarian regimes have tried to rewrite history by highlighting the “truths” that they want others to believe. Our current administration is following suit through executive orders that change the agenda of institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Department of Education, libraries, and the Pentagon, to name a few.
For me, these actions run counter to my wish that our country be welcoming to and appreciative of the contributions of all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, and national origin.
It is easy to feel powerless when many gleefully support actions that are truly repugnant to me, like deporting immigrants who have led productive lives for decades and taking control of cities which have not asked for help. The challenge for me is to not let my own fear and worry lead to paralysis in the face of so much ugliness.
And so I continue to write letters to my U.S. Senators and Representatives, attend rallies, and search for news coverage that is balanced and fair. I talk with my friends and family, write letters to the editor, and ponder how I might be of use. Now is the time to make some noise.
For me, these actions run counter to my wish that our country be welcoming to and appreciative of the contributions of all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, and national origin.
It is easy to feel powerless when many gleefully support actions that are truly repugnant to me, like deporting immigrants who have led productive lives for decades and taking control of cities which have not asked for help. The challenge for me is to not let my own fear and worry lead to paralysis in the face of so much ugliness.
And so I continue to write letters to my U.S. Senators and Representatives, attend rallies, and search for news coverage that is balanced and fair. I talk with my friends and family, write letters to the editor, and ponder how I might be of use. Now is the time to make some noise.
Fayetteville, NY
Bamboo
Maybe forty years ago my neighbor planted bamboo. Lorenzo will dig a trench about twenty inches deep and fill it with concrete. There’s no other way to keep bamboo from propagating, invading my backyard and attacking the foundation of my house in its single-minded pursuit of survival. It won’t be denied, though. Eventually it will find a way around the barrier.
How foolish of Trump and MAGA to think any censorship, any erasing of the truth, would ever work. Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Russel Means, Dennis Banks, Gloria Steinem; truths cast in stone aren’t going anywhere no matter how deep a trench MAGA tries to dig. There’s not enough concrete in the world to quash the truth of our history. There will be new shoots that find a way to overcome every silly effort to pretend it never existed. It will survive and grow stronger, insisting it be seen and dealt with, now or in the future. Planets will always revolve around the sun. Period. That’s how the truth works. Too bad for anyone who doesn’t like it.
Like Lorenzo said, once bamboo’s here, it’s not going away.
How foolish of Trump and MAGA to think any censorship, any erasing of the truth, would ever work. Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Russel Means, Dennis Banks, Gloria Steinem; truths cast in stone aren’t going anywhere no matter how deep a trench MAGA tries to dig. There’s not enough concrete in the world to quash the truth of our history. There will be new shoots that find a way to overcome every silly effort to pretend it never existed. It will survive and grow stronger, insisting it be seen and dealt with, now or in the future. Planets will always revolve around the sun. Period. That’s how the truth works. Too bad for anyone who doesn’t like it.
Like Lorenzo said, once bamboo’s here, it’s not going away.
Astoria, OR
Dear White House Signatories:
We have received your letter of August 12, 2025 outlining your interest in the programs offered by the Smithsonian.
Prior to responding, however, we feel compelled to remind you that the Smithsonian is an independent federal trust, not an executive agency. You have no direct control over its contents and operations.
The guiding principles of the Smithsonian Institution “center on its core mission to increase and diffuse knowledge, which is realized through principles of Stewardship and Trust, Diversity and Inclusion, Dignity and Respect, Transparency, and Ethical Conduct, all supported by a commitment to Open Access to its collections and data for the public good.”
You are free to disagree. You are not free to impose on us your political grievances.
Should you continue, we need only remind you of the Declaration of Independence:
“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, but when a long train of abuses and usurpations… evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
We have received your letter of August 12, 2025 outlining your interest in the programs offered by the Smithsonian.
Prior to responding, however, we feel compelled to remind you that the Smithsonian is an independent federal trust, not an executive agency. You have no direct control over its contents and operations.
The guiding principles of the Smithsonian Institution “center on its core mission to increase and diffuse knowledge, which is realized through principles of Stewardship and Trust, Diversity and Inclusion, Dignity and Respect, Transparency, and Ethical Conduct, all supported by a commitment to Open Access to its collections and data for the public good.”
You are free to disagree. You are not free to impose on us your political grievances.
Should you continue, we need only remind you of the Declaration of Independence:
“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, but when a long train of abuses and usurpations… evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
Kind regards,
The American People
The American People
Richmond, CA
(Her)story, protest photographs by Merry Song
If You'd Only Listen
A Medical Memoir of Gaslighting, Grit & Grace
by Rosie Sorenson
Rosie Sorenson’s award-winning book shines a piercing light on medical error and the power of advocacy. If You’d Only Listen plunges readers into the chaos and confusion that can accompany a critical medical journey. Rosie’s “midwestern tomboy grit” is tested at every turn as she confronts misdiagnoses, communication failures, and a system that often seemed more adversarial than supportive. Through a combination of fierce advocacy, meticulous note-taking, and an unyielding refusal to be ignored, Rosie became her husband Steve’s lifeline—catching errors, asking the hard questions, and refusing to accept vague answers or dismissals.
If You’d Only Listen is not just a memoir—it’s a survival guide for anyone who may one day find themselves fighting for a loved one’s life. The Addendum provides a deep dive into the realities of medical error, the influence of private equity in healthcare, and the pervasive issue of racial bias. Rosie offers practical recommendations for families: how to be an effective advocate, which questions to ask, and how to keep a loved one safe in the hospital.
Rosie’s courage, resilience, and unwavering love remind us that, even in the darkest hours, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
“I don’t know how the author survived all these harrowing events and kept her sanity and sense of humor. She’s one tough cookie,” Robert A. Nozik, M.D., Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco.
Available from Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Passage, and your local independent bookstore.
Bio
Merry Song of Eugene, OR, deals with her outrage by photographing the expressions of others. She has found that the antidote to political despair is creative action. Song uses creative writing and dreamwork to lead spiritual discovery workshops on Zoom. She can be contacted at merrysong@centerforsacredsciences.org.
I was a little girl, too young to go to school, riding my tricycle on the sidewalk outside when my mother called me in. We had just gotten our first television. My mother had never before turned it on during the day but that day she did and she wanted me to watch it with her. Six year old Ruby Bridges, wearing a starched little girl dress and white anklet socks, was entering for the first time a formerly all white school in New Orleans. She was flanked by tall, white, unhappy looking national guardsmen. Standing on both sides of the sidewalk was a crowd of white women screaming, their faces distorted with hatred. I thought that I could see droplets of spittle spraying from their mouths. My mother was crying. She is just a child she kept saying and somehow the little white socks really got to her because they somehow represented Ruby’s innocence and vulnerability.
During those years my mother was afraid to speak out outside the house. But I have never been afraid. Until now. Last week I was at home complaining loudly to my husband about that that day’s curtailment of free speech. I noticed our Alexa device a few feet away. Could she be listening I asked, only half joking. This is how democracy dies and autocracy begins.
I and many Canadians applauded when like a true “ambassador” Sarah McLachlan, world-renowned singer canceled her performance at Lilith Fair premiere in LA in support of free speech.
There’s nothing new under the sun–good, mediocre, or bad. Art has had patrons and detractors since the beginning of time. And guess what–we’re still here. I believe there are two reasons for that: 1. we continue to make art because we have to, and 2. we DO SOMETHING when our right to make art is challenged. Keep it up, my fellow-artists. I and my art are counting on you.
I am in Australia and, from the outside, I mourn the passing of America. I hope she can be great again, that she can gain herSELF back, can avoid the brink along which she is staggering, but I fear it won’t be easy. To those of you who are struggling to maintain heart and hope in the face of these terrible events, I say: Remember that there are those outside who value your efforts and believe in you.
I fully appreciated everyone’s comments which so effectively voiced my concerns about losing the progress which occurred during my younger days. I grew up with parents who held heated political debates with their friends. Yes, I said friends. They could disagree but not be hateful and divided which allowed for each party developing a broader perspective on the issues. I also wonder how my excellent high school history teacher would fare in today’s educational climate. He shared his “opinions,” which I later learned were whatever he thought would NOT be the opinions of most of his students. The result was that we went home, watched the news, and devoured the newspaper so we could go in the next day and effectively argue with him. He knew how to motivate us to do our research and how to stimulate our minds. Thanks again for everyone’s inspirational and thoughtful comments!
After twenty some years of living in Norway I recently became a citizen and could vote for the first time in the parliamentary election. Was it just last year that I voted by mail in Hawaii for the woman I believed was the new, joyous face of my country of birth? Seems like it was at least one lifetime ago given the raucous rate at which Trump and his tribe are dealing blow after blow to everything that has grown from common sense and common dignity since the founding of the American nation. Just when I think I’ve seen the top limit of absurdity another headline leaves me gobsmacked. I am undeserving of the privilege I have (all privilege is undeserved) to be living in a country where politics still has meaning. Where the far right wing party leader who lost the election does not just graciously congratulate the labor party leader who won, whose policies she abhors, she gives him a hug. These are real politicians who have thought through the policies they think are best for the country. I don’t see that what Trump is doing is politics at all, not old fashioned right wing politics full of policies that I disagree with, but which he argues are the best for the country. It seems that he truly doesn’t care what’s best for the country at all. The ICE deportation horrors are primarily a human tragedy, but also a social and economic one. What will replace all the failed and abandoned businesses that so many of these supposed illegals have been serving their communities with? What money will replace the taxes they have been paying? How can removing functioning infrastructure, like all the workers in an auto plant, help the country be great again? Just saying those words makes me gag, because America was great before Trump came along. With his great again rhetoric he gaslighted half the nation into thinking it wasn’t. Just like yesterday he stood at a podium telling European leaders that their countries were failing, he knows, he’s best at knowing these things. He’s got a kind of Midas complex, believing that what he speaks is true because he speaks it. Midas at least did turn everything to useless gold. Trump doesn’t have the ability to see that things don’t happen just because he says so. And still he blunders on as if they do. He’s the raging bull in the china shop of the world. Why doesn’t someone stop him? I remember as a kid asking grownups that about Hitler. It seemed so obvious that he should not have been allowed to go as far as he did. I was told that it happened so gradually, little by little, nobody thought he’d go so far, and I thought that answer was dumb. Now I find myself saying the same to my grandchildren about Trump… he can’t do worse than this, now he’s reached his limit… and I am first-hand witness like those that didn’t really do anything about. I’m not doing anything about Trump. I’m ashamed to say that I am glad I live in the country of my Norwegian immigrant grandparents who migrated to the Midwest over a hundred years ago. I’m ashamed to say I’m glad I got out of the US because I sound like the person who got out of the burning house and is glad of their own safety while others are inside still burning. I’m ashamed to say that at a book talk yesterday when people were telling their nationalities I balked and for the first time in my life had trouble getting the words ‘I’m American’ out of my mouth. As a citizen of both countries I could have chosen to say I’m Norwegian and it’d be true, but I couldn’t, wouldn’t hide. I said I’m American… and bit my tongue to keep from adding “but…” as if to not own my share of what it means to be a present day American. We Americans who are still critical thinking, creative, thoughtful people need to show up in the world, as we do in this Forum. I am inspired by so much courage and wisdom that is written here.
These women have given words to the angst I’ve been feeling.
Currently I’m reading and highly recommend “A Deeper South,” by Pete Candler. Born into a white Southern family of privilege, he travels backroads of the Southeast and uncovers the little-known history of racial violence in the region–history the South is intent upon forgetting. Perhaps that’s what will be required of all of us: to become history sleuths. And broadcast our knowledge.
9066
i.
Someone mows a lawn.
Its cologne sweetens the afternoon.
I am six planted in a slow ordinary day
after Pearl Harbor and headlines of fear
that the Good Deal President signs into law.
They round up neighbors down the road,
confiscate their orchards.
Playmates prodded onto trains,
shipped like cattle to Manzanar
corralled behind bales of barbed wire.
The desert wind carries our silence.
ii.
I am eight selling milk in the cafeteria
when Kennedy is shot,
after the Bay of Pigs,
hide under the desk away from windows.
I skipped high school to watch Dr King’s
assassination unfold, and Bobby’s behind,
blood spills from our black and white TV’s.
Eighteen and they drafted my first love.
He worked with his hands, played lead guitar
fixed cars so, they put him in infantry.
He came back broken
from an undeclared war.
We marched till it ended.
But another rears its head.
iii.
And now older than seven decades
I see neighbors cuffed and shackled in our court rooms,
chased down like coyotes’ in the strawberry fields.
Gardeners pruning the roses cuffed by the anonymous,
masked in Balaclavas, dispersing fear like plagues.
The president applauds, quotas filled by those
whose only crime is making a living.
We take to the streets.
Five million strong.
We won’t be silenced.
* Executive order 9066 authorized the forced removal of Japanese Americans in 1942 to internment camps.