During the Biden administration, on Juneteenth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day visitors could enter national parks for free. Now, under President Donald Trump, the holidays celebrating the end of slavery and the life of the civil rights icon have been axed from these special days.
CBS News confirmed a day that will replace them: June 14, Flag Day and more notably, Donald Trump’s birthday.
The list of free admission days includes patriotic days
already recognized across America such as Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and even Constitution Day. It also celebrates some birthdays, such as the establishment of the Park Service itself and the president who founded it, Theodore Roosevelt.No other president’s birthday currently stands as a free entry day.
The Parks Service did not explain why it opted to remove two prominent holidays promoting civil rights and justice in America. However, the news shocked many in the Black community.
Particularly, MLK Day has become a day of service. Many volunteers use the free entry opportunity to help clean the parks.
“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” shared Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, to ABC7. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”
The removal of MLK Day and Juneteenth from this list also aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The administration has already urged agencies, public schools, and departments to put a lesser focus on diverse histories. This update with the National Parks is an apparent part of this push.
The news also adds to the growing controversy surrounding the National Parks, as it previously announced price increases for visitors not identified as American citizens or permanent residents. Even on these free entry days, foreign visitors will have to pay entrance fees and other nonresident fees.
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