The decision to remove certain monuments around the country was not made lightly; it was a response to national reflection on our past and what we choose to honor in our public spaces.

Now, with a sweeping executive order, the Trump administration is attempting to reverse this progress by restoring monuments that were removed for representing oppression, racism, and hate. 

We cannot allow this erasure of hard-fought progress to stand.

Many of these monuments were erected not as neutral historical markers but as symbols of intimidation, particularly during periods of racial strife, such as the rise of Jim Crow and the fight for civil rights.

Their removal was not about destroying history—it was about acknowledging that history should not glorify those who fought to uphold slavery and inequality. 

This executive order is not about preserving history—it is about manipulating it. It goes hand in hand with other recent efforts to erase uncomfortable truths, such as the National Park Service’s quiet removal of LGBTQ+ history from its websites.  

We urge the Department of the Interior and all responsible agencies to reject the reinstatement of these monuments and instead continue efforts to tell a fuller, more honest history of the United States.

Public spaces should reflect our highest ideals, not serve as rallying points for those who seek to revive a painful past.

Sign this petition to keep these monuments removed, and urge the government to honor the public’s call for a more just and inclusive landscape.