Park Service Erases Civil Rights Holidays Under Trump

December 8, 2025

The National Park Service has removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from its 2026 list of free-entry days at national parks, replacing them with patriotic observances including Flag Day, which coincides with President Trump's birthday. The agency characterized this change as "modernization," but critics view it as part of a broader pattern following Trump's ban on federal DEI programs that previously halted observances of these holidays.

Who is affected

Black Americans and communities honoring civil rights history
Visitors to national parks who previously benefited from free entry on MLK Day and Juneteenth
The National Park Service
Federal agencies impacted by DEI program bans
Somali immigrants referenced in Trump's remarks
Washington, D.C. residents and local leaders
Congressional members including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Gregory Meeks

What action is being taken

The National Park Service is removing MLK Day and Juneteenth from the 2026 free-entry days list
The administration is adding Flag Day (Trump's birthday) to the free-entry calendar
The administration is raising fees for and deporting non-citizens
The administration is rewriting federal access rules
Federal forces are being deployed into Washington, D.C.

Why it matters

This decision represents more than a scheduling change—it signals a fundamental shift in how the federal government acknowledges American history, particularly regarding racial injustice and civil rights movements. The removal of these holidays follows the administration's broader elimination of DEI programs and suggests that recognition of Black Americans' contributions and the struggle for freedom is no longer prioritized as a shared national value. Historians and critics argue this erasure reflects a political choice about whose stories deserve national reflection and commemoration, potentially undermining decades of progress in acknowledging America's complex racial history.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer