Biden Urged to Protect Historic Sites as National Monuments
President Biden is being urged to use the Antiquities Act to designate several significant sites as national monuments. These sites hold profound cultural and historical importance, particularly for Indigenous communities and the Black American experience.
The Antiquities Act, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, has been used to protect numerous landmarks across the U.S. Initially, it was employed to safeguard natural wonders like Mount Olympus and the Grand Canyon, which later became national parks. In recent years, its application has expanded to include culturally significant sites and moments in history.
Activists are pushing for the designation of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a national monument. This community, destroyed by a white supremacist mob in 1921, was once a thriving, affluent Black neighborhood. Similarly, Illinois Congressman Danny K. Davis has proposed a national monument to commemorate the 1908 Springfield Race Riot, where a white supremacist mob razed Black homes and businesses, leading to the formation of the NAACP.
The legacy of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy murdered by white supremacists in 1955, is also being honored. Activists are calling for a national historic park encompassing several key sites in Mississippi and Illinois to commemorate his life and the impact of his mother's open casket funeral on the Civil Rights Movement.
In Arizona, community members are urging the federal government to permanently protect the Great Bend of the Gila due to its immense ecological and cultural value. Meanwhile, a coalition representing 12 Tribes and Nations is leading an effort to designate over 1 million acres of public lands outside the Grand Canyon National Park boundary as the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Additionally, a broad coalition led by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is calling upon President Biden to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk, a sacred ridgeline in California.
These designations, if approved, would not only preserve these significant sites but also serve as reminders of the resilience and strength of communities in the face of adversity. They would also honor the diverse histories and cultures that have shaped the United States.
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