Friday, June 20, 2025

How are communities protecting Black history?

eNewspaper | Crosswords | Horoscopes

This is America

Stories of justice and action across America

Fri Jun 20 2025

Yesterday was Juneteenth − Let us know what you did to celebrate the day by emailing PBailey@usatoday.com or SKuchar@usatoday.com.

Hello everyone, Phillip here.

June 19 is more than another date on the calendar to take off. For more than a century in communities across, it marks the true beginning of freedom in America.

As early as 1866 , these celebrations rivaled Independence Day festivities and today many are doing all they can to keep alive the stories of those who fought for emancipation. But there's an obvious tension given the Trump administration's posture on diversity programs that the history will be accurately preserved by federal institutions and museums.

Roger Davidson, Jr., associate professor of history at Bowie State University, said it's important that Black Americans preserve their rich histories and traditions. He said many have been drained of resources and sometimes people, and that those communities have worked hard to preserve their histories.

"Those who are left to remember the history are going to have to rely on local government or federal government resources to help maintain it, to create a historic site and hope that people can see this as a part of U.S. history, a part of American history, which it is, or else it will be forgotten," he said.

For this year's Juneteenth, USA TODAY focused on five different localities — from the seat of the country's founding in Concord, Massachusetts to the emancipation day's origins in Galveston, Texas and alternative days marking the death of bondage in Paducah, Kentucky — and how they're fighting to keep history alive.

Check it out, here.

A parade-goer wears a Juneteenth flag in his hair during the inaugural Ernestine Jackson Juneteenth Freedom Day Parade on Saturday, June 15, 2024 in South Peoria.

MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK, MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

'Why would I call him?' Politics doesn't cease amid Minnesota tragedy

Hey there, This Is America readers it's Savannah.

You may have heard that in the wake of a politically-motivated shooting that left a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband dead, and two others injured, Gov. Tim Walz decried the "unthinkable actions."

Per typical political etiquette, Walz received calls from Joe Biden, JD Vance and even foreign leaders offering condolences.

A notable absence from his call log: Trump.

•	Trump told reporters: "I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out, I'm not calling him. Why would I call him?"
•	He added: "I could call him, say, 'Hi, how are you doing?' The guy doesn't have a clue, he's a mess. So I could be nice and call him but why waste time?"
•	A Walz spokesperson's response: "Governor Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn't about Trump or Walz."

The president and governor weren't the only political opponents clashing this week in relation to the Minnesota tragedy.

Tina Smith, the state's junior senator and a Democrat, confronted her colleague Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, over some since-deleted controversial posts.

Thanks for reading with us! We'll be back next week with more stories of belonging and diversity from across the country. In the meantime, find us on social @ savannahkuchar and @phillipmbailey.