Ed Gitre
@edgitre.bsky.social
Father of 2 amazing boys, husband, historian, educator, school board member, digital scholar, director of https://americansoldierww2.org. Working on a book on the battle over Jim Crow in the US Army in WWII. Opinions my own.
Reposted by Ed Gitre
On Presidents’ Day 2026, a 77-year-old federal judge in Philadelphia issued a ruling that blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to take down or otherwise excise information from Independence National Historical Park relating to George Washington’s ownership of slaves.
Law Dork:
Law Dork:
A Presidents' Day lesson from Philadelphia
“Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history,“ Judge Cynthia Rufe wrote.
www.lawdork.com
February 17, 2026 at 4:00 PM
On Presidents’ Day 2026, a 77-year-old federal judge in Philadelphia issued a ruling that blocks the Trump administration’s efforts to take down or otherwise excise information from Independence National Historical Park relating to George Washington’s ownership of slaves.
Law Dork:
Law Dork:
So true. Carnegie Foundation funding of Gunnar Myrdal's study of race in the US wasn't a problem until the Supreme Court used it in support of Brown vs Board of Education.
February 16, 2026 at 6:03 PM
So true. Carnegie Foundation funding of Gunnar Myrdal's study of race in the US wasn't a problem until the Supreme Court used it in support of Brown vs Board of Education.
The most commented on characteristic of the first draft selectees in 1940 was the diversity of ethnicities. The ignorance of US history is remarkable.
February 15, 2026 at 8:12 PM
The most commented on characteristic of the first draft selectees in 1940 was the diversity of ethnicities. The ignorance of US history is remarkable.
McCarthy-era congressmen accused foundations of being captured by Communists. coxcommitteereport.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/.... They tore into Carnegie for funding Gunnar Myrdal's *An American Dilemma* after the landmark study of race in the US was cited in Brown vs Board.
Mellon is in good company.
Mellon is in good company.
February 13, 2026 at 10:17 PM
McCarthy-era congressmen accused foundations of being captured by Communists. coxcommitteereport.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/.... They tore into Carnegie for funding Gunnar Myrdal's *An American Dilemma* after the landmark study of race in the US was cited in Brown vs Board.
Mellon is in good company.
Mellon is in good company.
Reposted by Ed Gitre
I am speechless.
"The National Park Service has removed visitor brochures from the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Among the anticipated changes? No longer calling his murderer a 'racist.'" 🗃️ mississippitoday.org/2026/02/05/m...
"The National Park Service has removed visitor brochures from the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Among the anticipated changes? No longer calling his murderer a 'racist.'" 🗃️ mississippitoday.org/2026/02/05/m...
Medgar Evers’ killer was a Klansman, but Trump administration says stop calling him a racist - Mississippi Today
Among anticipated changes to a new visitor brochure for the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument is no longer using "racist" to describe the killer of the civil rights leader.
mississippitoday.org
February 5, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I am speechless.
"The National Park Service has removed visitor brochures from the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Among the anticipated changes? No longer calling his murderer a 'racist.'" 🗃️ mississippitoday.org/2026/02/05/m...
"The National Park Service has removed visitor brochures from the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument. Among the anticipated changes? No longer calling his murderer a 'racist.'" 🗃️ mississippitoday.org/2026/02/05/m...
I was looking forward to reading Shake's book. I find the history of civilian-military relations to be far more lively, overflowing with drama, conflict, politics, passion, and negotiation.
Delighted to talk to Kori Shake about her excellent and timely new book, The State and the Soldier, about the history of civil-military relations in the US, when these relations are going through - to say the least - a testing time. (Free) samf.substack.com/p/the-state-...
The State and the Soldier
How should the US military react to a "unprincipled principal"?
samf.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:38 PM
I was looking forward to reading Shake's book. I find the history of civilian-military relations to be far more lively, overflowing with drama, conflict, politics, passion, and negotiation.
This is a bit rich, isn't it? Moyn and his crew chastised anyone who dared make a historical comparison of precisely this sort, simply with a different political figure.
This is an odd piece because it seems to be saying, “Roosevelt was just as unilateral as Trump, except he worked through Congress.”
Opinion | What a Comparison With Roosevelt Reveals About Trump
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 9:37 PM
This is a bit rich, isn't it? Moyn and his crew chastised anyone who dared make a historical comparison of precisely this sort, simply with a different political figure.
"Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned."
Judge Biery signed the order with a photo of Liam and two bible verses: The first is "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The second is simply "Jesus wept."
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
January 31, 2026 at 9:32 PM
"Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned."
Someone else might need to see this as much as I did.
It is delightfully strange for New Yorkers to have a humane and cuddly mayor. If I saw a photo of Giuliani with his arms wrapped around a bunch of kids, I’d assume he was trying to arrest them.
January 30, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Someone else might need to see this as much as I did.
Homan "in theatre." ... Can't say we weren't warned.
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
Eisenhower's "Military-Industrial Complex" Speech Origins and Significance
YouTube video by US National Archives
www.youtube.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Homan "in theatre." ... Can't say we weren't warned.
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."
Reposted by Ed Gitre
“Freedom is not free. We have to work at it. Nurture it. Protect it. Even sacrifice for it.”
January 25, 2026 at 2:56 AM
“Freedom is not free. We have to work at it. Nurture it. Protect it. Even sacrifice for it.”
Agreed. I've argued that the "crisis" of the humanities is not about its "irrelevance." Historical memory & scholarship is a threat precisely because of their social & cultural power. That is why history must be suppressed, erased & replaced with politically useful myths: it's too dangerous.
It’s not so much that Trump & co don’t think slavery was important, they want to remove this history precisely *because* of how important it was. They don’t want people to learn about slavery because then people would understand how it continues to shape the landscape of inequality in America today.
Signs about the history of slavery in the U.S. and the 9 people George Washington enslaved are being removed right now at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall, months after the Trump administration threatend to do so.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
January 23, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Agreed. I've argued that the "crisis" of the humanities is not about its "irrelevance." Historical memory & scholarship is a threat precisely because of their social & cultural power. That is why history must be suppressed, erased & replaced with politically useful myths: it's too dangerous.
From the stands yesterday. A new day with a new governor.
January 18, 2026 at 5:14 PM
From the stands yesterday. A new day with a new governor.
History rhymes in other ways. The author of the pamphlet was forced out of the War Department for having written it. "Fascism" was, by May 1945 already, too divisive. The War Department needed to steer clear of "ideology." And the author couldn't be trusted, as a Russian-born Jew.
Here is the original WWII-era "Army Talk" given to troops on how to recognize fascism.
It is an eerily letter-perfect description of Trump and his tactics.
(H/T to the great Heather Cox Richardson for pointing out the existence of this gem.)
archive.org/details/Army...
It is an eerily letter-perfect description of Trump and his tactics.
(H/T to the great Heather Cox Richardson for pointing out the existence of this gem.)
archive.org/details/Army...
Army Talk Orientation Fact Sheet #64 - Fascism! : Army Orientation Branch: Information and Education Division : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
March 24, 1945. Army Talk Orientation Fact Sheet #64 Fascism! A sheet printed and distributed by the United States War Department as an educational tool for...
archive.org
January 10, 2026 at 10:27 PM
History rhymes in other ways. The author of the pamphlet was forced out of the War Department for having written it. "Fascism" was, by May 1945 already, too divisive. The War Department needed to steer clear of "ideology." And the author couldn't be trusted, as a Russian-born Jew.
What a dark day
🧵 A friend was at Roosevelt HS in MPS when it was raided today. My friend is now dealing with the effects of the tear gas that was deployed on school grounds AT DISMISSAL TIME. Bovino popped out of a car for photos while children sheltered in place. 1/ www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Live updates: Noem says ICE agent justified in killing woman
Renee Good, 37, was identified as the woman shot and killed Wednesday morning by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis. ICE said Good was shot while trying to run over agents with her car. Mayor Jacob Fre...
www.mprnews.org
January 8, 2026 at 1:48 AM
What a dark day
Great essay. Sparked a spirited, thoughtful debate in a research seminar I taught last year.
We are still living in the midst of a racial backlash, as @victorerikray.bsky.social and I said a few years ago. My fear—then and now—is that we’ll be in this period of backlash for some time to come.
fivethirtyeight.com/features/whi...
fivethirtyeight.com/features/whi...
White Backlash Is A Type Of Racial Reckoning, Too
For more coverage of the Jan. 6 attack, read our collection of essays and reflections examining where we are as a country one year later, including what has — a…
fivethirtyeight.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Great essay. Sparked a spirited, thoughtful debate in a research seminar I taught last year.
"[T]he Margraten cemetery 'is not the appropriate venue for interpreting or debating broader societal issues, however real and significant those issues were and are.'"
What is a more appropriate venue?
What is a more appropriate venue?
www.newsweek.com
January 1, 2026 at 9:29 PM
"[T]he Margraten cemetery 'is not the appropriate venue for interpreting or debating broader societal issues, however real and significant those issues were and are.'"
What is a more appropriate venue?
What is a more appropriate venue?
Reposted by Ed Gitre
Another beautiful Shchedryk performance amidst ruins.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
December 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Another beautiful Shchedryk performance amidst ruins.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
It was set in what used to be a DTEK thermal power plant — now destroyed by russia.
The contrast between russia’s destructive nature and the Ukrainian will to create beauty even in the darkest times is palpable.
I'd like to save you a few minutes. This op-ed is not worth your time.
December 8, 2025 at 6:33 PM
I'd like to save you a few minutes. This op-ed is not worth your time.
A quick read worth your time.
Ira Hayes is just the tip of this impressive, tragic, deeply American iceberg of inspiring individuals & vital communities.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/11/cons...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/11/cons...
December 5, 2025 at 4:25 PM
A quick read worth your time.
Reposted by Ed Gitre
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
And what happened after WWII that made the military "politically correct"? Might it be Truman's executive order desegregating the armed forces? What else could it be?
In any event, the "War Department" started to desegregate during the war as I wrote about in TIME.
time.com/7329734/mili...
In any event, the "War Department" started to desegregate during the war as I wrote about in TIME.
time.com/7329734/mili...
November 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
And what happened after WWII that made the military "politically correct"? Might it be Truman's executive order desegregating the armed forces? What else could it be?
In any event, the "War Department" started to desegregate during the war as I wrote about in TIME.
time.com/7329734/mili...
In any event, the "War Department" started to desegregate during the war as I wrote about in TIME.
time.com/7329734/mili...
On Facebook, Black Liberators in the Netherlands posted pictures of panels the Heritage Foundation reportedly pressed the Trump administration to have removed from the American cemetery in Margraten.
Black soldiers who volunteered for combat duty as riflemen are among the dead buried there.
Black soldiers who volunteered for combat duty as riflemen are among the dead buried there.
November 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
On Facebook, Black Liberators in the Netherlands posted pictures of panels the Heritage Foundation reportedly pressed the Trump administration to have removed from the American cemetery in Margraten.
Black soldiers who volunteered for combat duty as riflemen are among the dead buried there.
Black soldiers who volunteered for combat duty as riflemen are among the dead buried there.
Thank you, @americanstudier.bsky.social, for highlighting my essay.
Here it is, my 249th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below in comments, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 249 (11/9/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, my 249th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below in comments, please share as widely as...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Thank you, @americanstudier.bsky.social, for highlighting my essay.
All-volunteer Black rifle companies fought alongside White companies in 1945 in the race to Berlin. These men put their lives on the line in service to their country.
White supremacists still can't accept that these Americans played essential roles in an Allied victory.
time.com/7329734/mili....
White supremacists still can't accept that these Americans played essential roles in an Allied victory.
time.com/7329734/mili....
November 9, 2025 at 2:29 PM
All-volunteer Black rifle companies fought alongside White companies in 1945 in the race to Berlin. These men put their lives on the line in service to their country.
White supremacists still can't accept that these Americans played essential roles in an Allied victory.
time.com/7329734/mili....
White supremacists still can't accept that these Americans played essential roles in an Allied victory.
time.com/7329734/mili....