Emmett Till National Monument May Be Removed Under Trump Admin

National monuments and national parks are at risk of disappearing under the Trump administration.

Earlier in June, the Justice Department gave presidents the ability to make changes for the first time since the 1930s, according to CBS News. Some land is reportedly being considered for mineral extractions, while efforts to repeal DEI could affect national monuments.

What national monuments could be affected?

There are 138 National Monuments in the United States and they are all at risk of being sold for parts. This includes monuments commemorating figures of the Civil Rights movement, like the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. 

Till became a symbol of the movement after the 14-year-old was lynched in 1955 in Mississippi.

“Images of Till’s badly decomposed body in that open casket really sparked the modern civil rights movement,” Alan Spears, the senior director of cultural resources and government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, told CBS News.

There are three sites for the monument: One is where Till was found in Graball Landing near Glendora, Mississippi, the second is where the trial was held in the Tallahatchie County Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi and the other is where Till’s funeral took place at Chicago’s Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. 

Why does the Trump administration want to challenge the existence of these monuments?

Experts say it is made in an effort to erase American history and as part of the administration’s work to repeal D.E.I.

“We are seeing this effort to erase and reverse history and historic preservation,” Spears said. “This is turning quickly into a dream deferred.”

Former President Joe Biden designated the three sites as part of the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument as protected monuments in 2023. President Trump is now attempting to reverse these decisions.

“People don’t like to look at their past when it shows a negative light of who we are, and I can understand that nobody likes to look at their own personal past that may have a negative light, but we also know that in order to learn from our own history, we also have to learn from our past mistakes,” former National Park Service Director Chuck Sams told CBS News. “And we, as Americans, have never been actually scared to do so, and I don’t think we should be now. We look at our past, and we know that from our past mistakes that we have become stronger.”

National parks are also at risk under the Trump administration

The federal government has proposed nearly $1 billion of budget cuts for the National Park Service. This means over 300 park sites may have to close, according to Spears. This could affect the National Monuments located within the parks, such as the Grand Canyon. The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tāh Kukveni–Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, which surrounds the area around the canyon, is being considered for sale due to the presence of uranium.

Other monuments located in California are also being considered for revocation or partial sale, like the Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument.

Not only are these sites a part of American history, but they also offer a significant economic impact due to tourism.

Every $1 invested in a National Park site gives $15 back to the communities where they are located, according to Spears.

“That’s an enormous, enormous return on investment,” he said.