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President Donald Trump speaks at the White House conference on American History at the National Archives museum, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Thursday stepped up his efforts to appeal to his main white voter base by downplaying the historic legacy of slavery in the United States and criticizing efforts to address systemic racism as divisive.
The president’s comments on the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution amounted to a defense of white culture and a denunciation by Democrats, the media and others whom he accused of trying to indoctrinate school children and shaming “whiteness ” from his parents.
He also argued that the founding of the United States “set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, ensured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism, and built the most just, equal, and prosperous nation in human history.” .
But he did not mention the 246 years of slavery in America, including the 89 years that were allowed to continue after the colonies declared their independence from England.
The president also failed to acknowledge the ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality, which has sparked months of protests this year.
Trump has long stoked the nation’s culture wars, including defending the display of the Confederate battle flag and the Civil War rebel memorials from protesters seeking his impeachment.
His speech Thursday suggested that his rhetoric could become even sharper in the final weeks before the election, given that his path to a second term depends largely on energizing culturally conservative white voters.
“For many years now, radicals have mistaken the silence of the Americans for weakness. But they are wrong, ”Trump said. “There is no force more powerful than the love of parents for their children, and patriotic moms and dads are going to demand that their children no longer be fed hateful lies about this country.”
Trump has already cracked down on anti-racism training sessions at federal agencies. He said Thursday that he will soon sign an order to establish a commission to promote patriotic education called the 1776 Commission.
The panel, he said, would be tasked with encouraging educators to teach students “about the miracle of American history” and planning to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The measure is a response to The New York Times’ “Project 1619,” which highlights the long-term consequences of slavery and the contributions of African Americans.
The project began after The New York Times Magazine published a series on the 400th anniversary of slavery in the United States. Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for his magazine article.
His essay was titled “The 1619 Project,” because in late August of that year, a ship arrived in the United States with between 20 and 30 enslaved Africans, marking the first arrival of slaves.
The project evolved from trial and, with the help of the Pulitzer Center, educational materials were developed to improve knowledge about slavery, not to rewrite history, according to the Times.
“American parents are not going to accept indoctrination in our schools, cancel the culture at work or the repression of faith, culture and traditional values in the public square,” Trump said. “No longer.”
In response to Trump’s comments, Hannah-Jones said the First Amendment to the Constitution abhors the government’s attempts to censor speech and guarantees a free press.
“The efforts of the President of the United States to use his powers to censor work of American journalism by dictating what schools can and cannot teach and what American children should and should not learn should be deeply alarming to all Americans who they value freedom of expression, “she said.
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