TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Black History Month has its origins in the early 1900s, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History External.
Woodson initiated the first Negro History Week in February 1926, selecting the time frame that included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Over the years, through various proclamations by seated presidents, the week expanded into the entire month. President Ronald Reagan, in 1986, issued proclamation 5443, which stated “… the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.”
But now, beginning in September 2025, signs have been removed from national parks depicting historical and scientific facts, part of President Donald Trump’s executive order to “restore truth and sanity,” which undermines the mandate, states an article on the National Parks Conservation Association website.
“These latest efforts follow steps this spring to sanitize history when the National Park Service was told to remove references to slavery and LGBTQ+ history from its webpages,” states the article titled, “Erasing History, Silencing Science,” published October 2025.
The Trump administration has ordered the National Park Service to remove more historical signs at key national parks, including one at the Grand Canyon and another at Glacier National Park. Staff at the Grand Canyon removed a sign about the displacement of Native Americans, and another on climate change contributing to glacial loss in Glacier National Park.
“The move comes after staff at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia removed interpretive panels about slavery from the President’s House historical site,” states an article titled, “The NPS Just Yanked Historical Signs From the Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Other Parks,” published on outsideonline.com, Jan. 28.
In a time when people are looking to alter the view of the past and present – based on feelings rather than facts – the removal of historical markers and conversations, art and research marks an effort to erase the sordid and complex history of the country, said Kasey Rhone, a scholar of Black history and occasional TDP columnist.
“Celebrating Black History Month and taking time to learn the contributions and history of Black Americans gives everyone a full understanding and context of the history of this country, and honestly, even of their towns and cities,” Rhone said. “I’ll be honest: It kills me when folks call DEI, or learning about others, as divisive.”
Learning about wrongs committed in the past can be uncomfortable, and learning a person’s family or people who look like them might have perpetrated harm is uncomfortable, but they are not being harmed, Rhone said.
“It actually brings people together, because the question is how do we keep this from happening again?” Rhone said. “How can we celebrate the contributions and culture of our neighbors? We cannot right our past wrongs without knowing what they are, or fix the present if we don’t know truthfully how we got here.”
Rhone said Black History Month gives people time to reflect on this country’s history of not only enslavement, but Black creativity, innovation and joy despite the trauma – despite the systemic trauma present in every generation of African American.
“That’s important for everyone to know,” Rhone said.
A display in a newly arranged space at the Tahlequah Public Library, has a back wall dedicated to Black History Month during February. Branch Manager Jeremy Jones said the first dedicated space in the new area is on Black history and creativity.
“DEI – diversity, equity, inclusion – is about meeting people where they are, regardless of who they are, their needs – and we can include access in that, too,” Jones said. “I call it IDEA – inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. We’ve always tried to do that.”
He said the library has always been about accessibility to creativity, ideas, history and fun. The new display on Black history isn’t just about slavery, but includes creativity spread across history, fiction, nonfiction, jazz and books by famous Black individuals.
Superintendent Tanya Jones said teachers in all grades of Tahlequah Public Schools celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in various ways, and are recognizing Black History Month by focusing on King and his teachings.
“In the elementary schools, we are celebrating MLK by recognizing the incredible achievements of this inspiring leader,” Jones said. “We will learn about how he wanted equality, peace, and justice for all, through a variety of activities.”
Classes are reading stories about King, participating in art projects and research assignments, and at the Tahlequah Middle School, the social studies classes are doing presentations on King and discussing the significance of celebrating his birthday, which was Jan. 19.
At the high school level, U.S. history teachers have students compare the viewpoints and contributions of civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jones said.
“In our English classes, many written works, including speeches, are studied, and used to create compositions, also focusing on the civil rights movement,” Jones said.