Across the United States, a subtle yet profound erasure of historical narratives is taking place. This is happening within classrooms, college campuses, and halls of power. This shift is narrowing what type of histories students can learn, especially those concerning women, African Americans, Indigenous peoples. Even subjects such as the Civil War and the Reconstruction era, are falling behind. 

Erasure in American history refers to the systemic silencing, omission, or distortion of certain groups, particularly those from marginalized communities. This erasure often serves to maintain existing power structures by excluding their contributions, struggles, and stories from public memory.

Since 2021, more than twenty-five states have passed laws restricting how educators discuss race, gender, sexuality, and systemic inequality. Oklahoma’s HB 1775, for instance, bars teaching that suggests individuals bear responsibility for historic injustices. This has effectively stifled lessons on slavery, Jim Crow laws, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (Ray). In Texas, HB 3979 demands neutral treatment of controversial topics, pressuring schools to eliminate discussions on the structural roots of racism (Ray).

In April 2022, Florida enacted the Stop WOKE Act, officially titled the Individual Freedom Act. This legislation prohibits educational content that could cause students to experience guilt, anguish, or other psychological distress over issues involving race or sex. That same year, nearly half of all submitted math textbooks were rejected for alleged ties to critical race theory or social-emotional learning. In response to the law, some teachers removed portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman to avoid controversy (Mazzei).

This erasure has not been limited to K–12 education. During his second presidential term in early 2025, Donald Trump issued sweeping executive orders dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts across federal agencies, colleges, and universities. Executive Order 14151 demanded the termination of all DEI-related programs, training, and staffing in federal institutions. Executive Order 14190 prohibited K–12 instruction labeled as “anti-American or subversive” (Smith). The Education Department subsequently removed hundreds of DEI documents from its public websites and placed many staff members on administrative leave. At the same time, Executive Order 14168 revoked federal recognition for transgender individuals and removed gender-inclusive policies (Smith).

The effects of these actions were immediate and far-reaching. DEI offices and cultural centers at institutions such as the University of Texas and Missouri State were shut down. More than fifty universities, including Yale and Cornell, were placed under investigation for race-conscious admissions and other DEI initiatives. Colleges reported the removal of courses on Native American history, women’s studies, Civil War memory through the lens of slavery, and long-overlooked resistance narratives (PEN America).

With these legislative and executive actions, censorship of educational materials has surged. PEN America documented 10,046 book bans during the 2023–2024 school year, spanning twenty-nine states. This marked a two hundred percent increase over the previous year. These bans targeted more than 4,200 titles, many of which directly addressed Black and Native American history, women’s suffrage, Reconstruction, or Civil War memory (PEN America). Nearly half of the banned books featured characters of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to data also confirmed by the American Library Association (ALA).

The scale of this movement is staggering. Florida led with approximately 4,561 bans, followed by Iowa with around 3,600. Districts reported compliance costs ranging from thirty-four thousand to one hundred thirty-five thousand dollars annually. In Tennessee and South Dakota, new laws either omit or intentionally misrepresent Black and Native histories. In some cases, these histories are labeled divisive, thereby erasing centuries of lived experience, activism, and cultural knowledge (American Library Association).

This moment in American education goes farther than curriculum choices. It is about the integrity of our collective memory. When the Civil War is reframed as a noble conflict without reference to slavery, when Indigenous displacement and resistance is ignored, and when women’s suffrage and Black empowerment are misrepresented, we distort the arc of American progress. We deny students the context they need, along with the critical thinking skills required to understand the past and engage with the present.

History is not neutral. It is a living foundation upon which societies build identity and meaning. As George Orwell warned, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” Efforts to censor or erase history are not simply educational decisions; they are political strategies that undermine democracy itself.

What students, and the future, deserve is the full story. Democracy cannot survive on fragments. It thrives on truth, inclusion, and the recognition of our shared humanity.