Vanderbilt University professor Michael Eric Dyson said Thursday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that President Donald Trump “is singularly focused on eradicating every trace of black history in America.”
Discussing Juneteenth, Dyson said, “Well, as you’ve already indicated, there’s a bit of disconsolation of great disconcert because of the practices of an administration that is singularly focused on eradicating every trace of black history in America, of eviscerating the trace and the track of our story and trying to politically impose narrow constraints on the telling of that story. Firing museum heads, getting rid of qualified black people and competent executives who are in place to make sure that they are guardians of that story, the American story. Unfortunately and tragically this administration has taken unto itself the purpose of destroying DEI while not understanding what DEI is. Without diversity, equity and inclusion America couldn’t be what it is today. We couldn’t enjoy the privileges, the rights and the gifts of so many other people beyond straight white men were it not for efforts to make sure this country was equal and fair.”
He added, “So Juneteenth is a bit muted, but again, that’s what the purpose is, right? The delay of justice for African American people is symptomatic of an American disposition that we have to continually deal with. So in one sense, we’re not surprised, even though we’re disappointed.”
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