Lamenting the whitewashing of America's past as Black History Month ends

Since Donald Trump returned to power last year, his administration has been unrelenting in diminishing Black history.

Among the most egregious examples are deleting the names of prominent African Americans from government websites, pressuring the Smithsonian Institution to get rid of exhibits that depict slavery and dismantling a display — now being reinstalled in Philadelphia following a federal judge’s order — featuring the lives of nine people George Washington enslaved.

Claiming to remove “a corrosive ideology" that it believes undermines American ideals, the administration is actually doing irreparable harm to our shared history. It is erasing the significant contributions of Black people who helped build and shape the nation. Black history is American history. No one can deny African Americans' rich contributions to our art, music, theater, medicine, law, sports, military, food and much more.  In fact, you would be hard pressed to find an area of American life in which Blacks have not had a major impact.

There can be no denying that slavery was America's original sin. The decades of Jim Crow segregation and discrimination after the Civil War are stains on our body politic as well.

Yet despite these awful parts of our history, America is a great nation, a beacon of hope to millions all over the world.

What makes a nation great, however, is the ability to acknowledge its sins and try to make amends. The American story is unique in its message of championing personal freedom and liberty.  While coming up short and never quite attaining these ideals, we keep trying. 

It is only by learning our history, warts and all, can we better understand the present, grasp our shortcomings, capitalize on our collective strengths and move forward as a nation trying to fulfill the promise of America to all our people.

Dominic Calabrese, adjunct professor, Columbia College Chicago

Embarrassed Bears fans

A local sports radio commentator recently asked an interesting question: "What do the Bears owe you, as a fan?"  After some thought, my response was, "They owe me, as a lifelong fan, not to be embarrassing. That is the bare minimum."

But they are embarrassing. The magical 2025 season notwithstanding, they have had losing, embarrassing seasons for decades and a never-ending string of "franchise quarterbacks" and new coaches. Now we have the three-year saga in pursuit of a new publicly funded stadium, with its confused pinball-bouncing from Chicago to Arlington Heights, to Indiana, to Arlington Heights, to who knows where next. It is laughable and embarrassing. This reflects poorly on a great sports town like Chicago. It is embarrassing for Bears fans.

Blaise J. Arena, Des Plaines

Tariff tune

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision on tariffs, it may be time to organize a few barbershop quartets to commemorate that ruling:

Where has all the money gone,
Long time tariffing
Where has all the money gone,
Deep pockets, Don?
Where has all the money gone,
The grift has hid it from everyone
Oh, when will we ever learn
Oh, when will YOU ever learn?????

Carey Payne, Elk Grove Village