Reveal

As the Trump Administration Erases Black History, These Writers Are Keeping It Alive

19 snips
Feb 21, 2026
Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project and advocate for teaching Black history; Jelani Cobb, historian-journalist and Columbia dean; Tremaine Lee, Pulitzer and Emmy-winning reporter on violence and Black communities. They discuss federal rollbacks of Black history in museums and schools. They trace historical patterns, the personal cost of reporting, and who will preserve truthful American history.
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INSIGHT

Federal Erasure Mirrors The Nadir

  • Nikole Hannah-Jones argues today’s federal attacks on Black history resemble the early 20th-century nadir, not just a rollback of the 1960s.
  • She warns we’re experiencing a historically familiar pattern of federal power used against civil rights.
ANECDOTE

Personal Cost Of Publishing The 1619 Project

  • Nikole Hannah-Jones describes facing coordinated attacks, threats, and personal targeting after the 1619 Project entered schools.
  • She stopped responding to every critic after a friend reminded her that discrediting her work herself would be the only real danger.
INSIGHT

Myth Appeals To The Heart, Truth To The Mind

  • Hannah-Jones distinguishes myth from truth: myth persuades the heart while truth appeals to the mind and must be defended.
  • She stresses mythology’s emotional grip makes it easier to maintain false national narratives.
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