National American History and Founders Month, 2020

Proclamation 10110 of October 30, 2020

National American History and Founders Month,
2020

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In the Black Hills of South Dakota stands an enduring
tribute to four of our greatest Presidents--George
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and
Teddy Roosevelt. Mount Rushmore symbolizes the proud
history of our Nation, a history that began on July 4,
1776, with the revolutionary words written in the
Declaration of Independence. This summer, I spoke
before this beautiful monument in celebration of
Independence Day to call attention to the brilliant
vision of our Founding Fathers and their profound,
momentous statement that ``all men are created equal.''
And, earlier this year at the National Archives, the
sacred home of the Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution, and the Bill of Rights--our Nation's
Charters of Freedom--I pledged that our great American
heroes will never be forgotten, our schools will teach
the story of our Nation as it happened, and the truth
of our history will never be erased or rewritten.
Throughout this month, we celebrate the incredible
history of the United States and commit to continually
work toward the promise of a more perfect Union.

The story of our Nation is one of tireless progress
toward realizing and defending our founding
principles--individual liberty, representative self-
government, and equality of opportunity. In the 18th
century, the founding generation sacrificed blood and
treasure to defend the spark of liberty on this
continent, constructing the framework of our new
American society. In the 19th century, the mettle of
that foundation was tested as Americans took up arms
against one another in a struggle that ultimately
eradicated the great injustice of slavery from our
country, a conflict that, though it left a dark stain
on the fabric of our Nation, ultimately strengthened
our commitment to freedom and helped us further realize
the true promise of the founding. The American 20th
century saw great strides in progress for civil rights,
as women won the right to vote and timeless voices like
Martin Luther King, Jr., illuminated the path toward
true equality for Black Americans. Abroad, American
service members carried the torch of liberty to those
in need, liberating Europe and Asia from fascist
oppression and freeing billions of people around the
world from the suffocating yoke of communism.

This is the inheritance of today's generation of
Americans. A history defined by righteous struggle in
service to our founding ideals of liberty and justice
for all. A history populated by heroes and warriors for
freedom. And a history marked by an unyielding
commitment to virtue and principle. This history is
what distinguishes our Nation as the most free and just
society in the world.

Today, however, a fringe element of radical
politicians, media voices, corporate executives, and
other activists seek to use their immense power to
obscure the ideals of our country, rewrite our Nation's
proud history, and desecrate the memory of our
Founders. Statues have been torn down and destroyed,
violent mobs have masqueraded under the false banner of
peaceful protests, and free speech has come under siege
in the public square and on online platforms. As one
example among many, theoretical frameworks like
``Critical Race Theory'' have corrupted our United
States history

and civic education courses in public schools, board
rooms, the military, and government agencies, promoting
racial division and discrimination. Adherents to
Critical Race Theory and other associated ideologies
believe that America is an inherently racist and sexist
country, defined by oppression and hierarchies of
victimhood, rather than freedom and equality. Critical
Race Theory and those who promote it seek to strip
individual agency from all Americans and instead
relegate them into pre-determined categories of belief
based on their racial or sexual identity. If Americans
are distracted by such theories from studying the true
history of our great Nation--its mistakes and its
triumphs--we risk the dissolution of our common bonds
and we will be weakened as a country. That is why I
recently signed an Executive Order that bans executive
departments and agencies and Federal contractors from
teaching Critical Race Theory, in an effort to prevent
the indoctrination of the American people by these
dangerous ideologies. Now, more than ever, we must
continue to forge an even brighter future for our
Nation by preserving its past. As President, I will
always honor the great legacy of America's history and
its Founders.

Throughout this month, we recommit to protecting the
great American story, one of a Nation that has promoted
liberty and ensured freedom for millions. We know that
when we collectively recognize and cherish our history,
we are made stronger as one people. The divine truth
our Founders enshrined in the fabric of our Nation--
that all people are created equal--will, if we cherish
and protect it, ensure the blessings of unparalleled
freedom and prosperity for all posterity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November
2020 as National American History and Founders Month. I
call upon the people of the United States to observe
this month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.