You may or may not have caught this recent news story within the haze of recent political stories. The National Archive decided to digitally degrade parts of photos containing imagery that was critical of the President and other political commentary from signs carried during the Woman’s March of 2017. As most historians would likely argue, this modification of actual history is antithetical to the goals of recording history as it is for later consideration. The National Archives later apologized for their action, but in some ways the damage was done.
My reaction immediately caused my memory to focus on images I remember when working on a history project showing drinking fountains for blacks and whites and an image of the outside of a movie theater directly blacks to use the stairs to their place in the balcony. Losing the honesty of such facts undervalues any study of the political record.
Our youngest daughter happened to be in Chicago during the Women’s March for 2020. She sent me these images when I mentioned what I had read about the National Archives.
