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With the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump's executive order terminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs "in the federal workforce, and in federal contracting and spending," many thought the administration was also banning Black History Month. Soon after Trump enacted his DEI measures, the Department of Defense announced that it would no longer recognize "cultural awareness months," including not only African American history but also Women's History Month (March), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15) and National American Indian Heritage Month (November). Still, Trump did sign a proclamation recognizing Black History Month at the end of January, something every president has done since Gerald Ford was in office in 1976. Trump called our present time a "historic Golden Age" and expressed "tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment," specifically mentioning Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Tiger Woods, Thomas Sowell and Clarence Thomas.

So Black History Month has technically not been "canceled" by Trump's administration, although festivities would have gone on in churches and community centers if it had been. With Trump at least acknowledging the cultural significance of Black history, as an educator, I see this as a teachable moment to discuss lesser-known figures so that all can learn more and appreciate the struggle to push America to live up to its ideals of a just and equitable society. I recently spoke on the historical importance of Juneteenth for one of Ohio State University at Lima's Black History Month lectures. As I prepared my remarks, I decided to begin with the watchnight services held on New Year's Eve before Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Watchnight services occurred throughout the nation, with slaves praying and exuberantly praising God as they anxiously waited for the news of their impending liberty. Starting my presentation with these historical religious meetings that have remained a New Year's Eve tradition in Black churches, I wanted to frame my talk around the resilient courage that has always been central to the African American experience. Even though slaves in Texas had to wait until June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, to receive their freedom, they were overjoyed to begin forging a better life amid overwhelming racial hatred and opposition. One of those former Texas slaves who immediately began pursuing what we now call the American Dream was John Henry "Jack" Yates. Yates is a prominent historical figure in Texas associated with Juneteenth observances. He was born a slave on July 11, 1828, in Gloucester County, Virginia, and moved to Texas due to his master agreeing to sell him to the owner of Harriet Willis, a female slave who eventually became Yates' wife. Yates relocated with Willis to Matagorda County, Texas. After they became free on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, Yates moved his family to Houston's Fourth Ward. There, he began building a lasting legacy during the onset of Reconstruction. Just three years after gaining his freedom, Yates was ordained as a Baptist minister and would go on to pastor Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, with a zeal for spreading the Gospel. At an early age, he had learned to read from the son of his mistress and immersed himself in Scripture. Yates' vision of service to Christ and his community extended to education. He founded the Houston Academy, a school that taught ex-slaves how to read and trained them in vocational skills. This institution would expand to Texas Southern University, a historically Black university. Yates would also help establish Emancipation Park in 1872, where some of the first Houston Juneteenth celebrations were held. I think one of his most impressive personal accomplishments was becoming a homeowner. Yates was able to build a two-story home with the assistance of his family in the 1870s, a few years after Black Codes, which forcibly prohibited former slaves from exercising their citizenship rights, were established in Texas.

I included Yates' story as a central part of my Juneteenth Black history lecture because I wanted to provide an example of someone with incredible faith who overcame grueling odds to succeed during a dark period in our country. Of course, not all stories about the Black experience have positive endings like Yates', but when we tell Black history honestly and accurately, it should not come off as offensive. I hope Trump will understand this better as February events continue.

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Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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