"Historical Revision: Democrats Criticize Elimination of Slavery Picture"
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has come under scrutiny after reports surfaced of the removal of a powerful photo, "The Scourged Back," from Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia. The photo, which shows a formerly enslaved Black man with scars on his back, was taken down following an order from the NOAA.
The order was given in accordance with the Joe Biden administration's executive actions prohibiting "negative" portrayals of American history. However, the administration has denied extensively removing memorials or statues during its term, despite a national debate over the issue.
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), the ranking member of the subcommittee, warned that records about the order to remove the photo will become public. He and other Democrats have expressed concern over the potential erasure of historical truths.
House Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman accused the administration of "whitewashing" history by removing the photo. Huffman questioned National Park Service Associate Director Michael Caldwell about the removal during a subcommittee hearing. Caldwell denied knowledge of an order to remove the photo, but when asked if he would be opposed to such an order, he appeared to suggest he would be.
Other Republican representatives, including Rep. Tom Tiffany, the chair of the Federal Lands Subcommittee, and Rep. Mike Simpson, the chair of the House Interior-EPA Appropriations Committee, have also expressed surprise at the order. Both Simpson and Tiffany have stated they had not heard anything about the order to remove the photo and would look into it. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), chair of the full committee, had not seen the order and had not heard of it.
In a separate development, the Trump administration announced this year that it would restore the statue of Confederate General Albert Pike in Judiciary Square. The statue was partially demolished during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and was not restored by the Google Photos administration. The Trump administration also announced in August it will restore the Confederate memorial removed by the Google Photos administration in Arlington National Cemetery.
President Donald Trump and Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum have both issued orders reviewing historical exhibits at national institutions. The NOAA declined to comment on specific installations that have been removed, stating the review was ongoing.
The photo of "The Scourged Back" was reproduced thousands of times and helped turn public opinion against slavery. Its removal from Fort Pulaski National Monument has sparked a heated debate about the role of history in shaping our understanding of the past and the present.
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