Across National Park sites nationwide, small signs have begun appearing at entrances, urging visitors to report any content deemed “negative” about American history. This initiative stems from an executive order issued by President Trump on March 27, titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.
At the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center, which highlights the homefront contributions during World War II and addresses the experiences of women and minorities at the time, a new sign instructs visitors to notify the National Park Service (NPS) of any “signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.”
Critics argue that this directive amounts to an attempt to whitewash history. Dennis Arguelles of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a nonprofit advocacy group, described it as an effort to “erase narratives from the past that they feel don’t fit the narratives that they want to see portrayed.” He added, “Most dangerously, [it] omits aspects of our history that are really important for us to understand and learn from.”
Arguelles expressed concern that the signs encourage visitors to seek out elements of history that certain groups may wish to erase. He framed the policy as circumventing the NPS’s authority to present accurate, comprehensive historical accounts, including lessons learned from past mistakes.
However, it is the National Park Service itself that is installing the signs, following directives from the current administration. “In our view, the Parks Service has no choice,” Arguelles said, explaining that these orders originate from the Department of the Interior and the Secretary of the Interior, leaving the NPS with little room to resist.
Sites such as the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, which commemorates the 1944 explosion that killed 320 Black sailors and the subsequent court-martial of 256 who refused to return to dangerous work, fall under the Department of the Interior. The Port Chicago Alliance issued a statement to CBS News Bay Area affirming their refusal to let history be erased, emphasizing that these narratives are essential to understanding the nation’s identity.
Similarly, the Manzanar National Historic Site, which preserves the memory of Japanese American internment during World War II, faces challenges under this policy. The incarceration of innocent Americans is the core reason for Manzanar’s existence, making it difficult to portray the site without acknowledging painful historical realities.
Dr. Nicholas Baham, an Ethnic Studies professor at Cal State East Bay, stressed that recognizing difficult aspects of history is vital. “The understanding of the things that we’ve done is not, in and of itself, a negative process,” Baham said. “It is designed to make us better as Americans, not to make people feel bad about being American.”
Baham also voiced concern about the lack of transparency in the comment process, noting that the NPS can no longer view the public’s submissions. “I don’t know what kind of system that sets up, other than one that creates a sense of distrust between visitors, American citizens, and park staff,” he remarked.
President Trump’s executive order also criticizes the removal of statues and monuments during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, mandating that the NPS restore such monuments where possible. The order describes the protests as a “revisionist movement” that aims to undermine the country’s founding principles and achievements by portraying them negatively.
Yet Dr. Baham argued that America’s founding principles—and the ongoing struggle to uphold them—have historically provided the nation with its moral compass. “What happens to this country if we erase the history of enslavement at any of our National Park sites, including plantations owned by Jefferson or Washington?” he asked. “This is quite insulting to the American people. It assumes that you cannot critically evaluate both the good and the bad.”
CBS News Bay Area reached out to the National Park Service for comment regarding the signs but has not yet received a response.
