Harriet Tubman’s family is fired up after the National Park Service quietly yanked her photo and quote from the Underground Railroad web page, among other edits… calling it a total slap in the face to Black history, which they stress is American history — period.
Tubman’s relative Rita Daniels — author, speaker, and founder of the Harriet Tubman Learning Center — tells TMZ she was shocked by the move, which came amid President Trump’s anti-DEI push, pointing out Tubman played a key role in shaping U.S. history … particularly helping escaped slaves find their way to freedom, as well as helping the Union during the Civil War. The edited page also removed references to the history of enslavement in the U.S., aside from a single caption … before public outcry prompted their restoration.
Rita’s asking the big question — why is Black history such a threat to certain people? And why are they trying to erase Black history from America’s story? She notes first the administration removed Dept. of Defense references to Jackie Robinson, and then the Tuskegee Airmen.
She adds that racism is alive and well, pointing to the January 6th, 2021 insurrection as an example of active groups … but believes there’s a new wave of allies — “new abolitionists” — ready to stand up and fight back.
The Park Service ended up restoring Tubman’s photo and other historical references after major backlash — they had quietly swapped out her pic back in February for small commemorative stamps featuring 5 abolitionists, including Tubman herself, and removed references to the historical system of helping enslaved people escape Southern slave-holding states. The Washington Post was the first to report it over the weekend.
But for the family, the damage was already done. Rita made it crystal clear — “Leave my great auntie alone!”
Rita emphasized that Harriet gave everything to build a better future — not just for Black people, but for everyone in the U.S. She ended her message with a powerful reminder — “It’s 2025 and racism will not win!”
