Posted on Dec 17, 2023
The Texas Historical Commission Removed Books on Slavery From Plantation Gift Shops
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After visiting the Varner-Hogg plantation an hour south of Houston, amateur historian Michelle Haas seemed incensed by what she had seen. At an exhibit that details the farm’s use as a sugar plantation worked by at least 66 slaves in the early nineteenth century, she’d watched an informational video. To her mind, it focused too much on slavery at the site and not enough on the Hogg family, which had turned its former home into a museum celebrating Texas history. She’d also seen books in the visitor center gift shop written by Carol Anderson and Ibram X. Kendi, two Black academic historians who have been outspoken on the issue of systemic racism. Haas denies having been angered but emailed criticisms to David Gravelle, a board member of the Texas Historical Commission, the agency that oversees historical sites at the direction of leaders appointed by Governor Greg Abbott. “What a s—show is this video,” Haas wrote on September 2, 2022. “Add to that the fact that the activist staff member doing the buying for the gift shop thinks Ibram X. Kendi and White Rage have a place at a historic site.”
The Texas Historical Commission Removed Books on Slavery From Plantation Gift Shops
Posted from texasmonthly.com
American History
State of Texas
Slavery
Racism
Reading
Posted 5 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."That culturally significant books about slavery were apparently made casualties of the culture war deeply concerns historians such as Michael Phillips. He is writing a book on eugenics in Texas, was recently a senior fellow at Southern Methodist University, and filed an initial records request regarding the commission’s efforts to remove the works from gift shops. “We have an appalling situation,” Phillips said. “The idea that these books are irrelevant somehow is really striking.” He added, “to eliminate books about racism at slave plantation sites is like doing an Auschwitz tour and never mentioning antisemitism.”
Out of the 39 books currently available across the two Brazoria County plantation sites, only a handful focus on issues of racism and white supremacy. Visitors won’t find Roots, but they can buy several books that one would not expect to see, following Gravelle’s policy of excluding “non-Texas-history books.” They include a guide to birds in the state, a book of wildlife photo portraits, and a southern cookbook.
Correction, December 12, 2023: A prior version of this story reported Michelle Haas emailed a list of books that she objected to that were available for purchase at the Levi Jordan historical plantation to Texas Historical Commission Chairman John Nau III. She addressed the email to him and other commissioners, but did not include him as a direct recipient.
Update, December 12, 2023: This story has been updated to clarify Haas’s employment and to include more context on the 23 books she emailed the commission about, her thinking on why they might be inappropriate, and her suggestions for replacement titles that could be sold."
..."That culturally significant books about slavery were apparently made casualties of the culture war deeply concerns historians such as Michael Phillips. He is writing a book on eugenics in Texas, was recently a senior fellow at Southern Methodist University, and filed an initial records request regarding the commission’s efforts to remove the works from gift shops. “We have an appalling situation,” Phillips said. “The idea that these books are irrelevant somehow is really striking.” He added, “to eliminate books about racism at slave plantation sites is like doing an Auschwitz tour and never mentioning antisemitism.”
Out of the 39 books currently available across the two Brazoria County plantation sites, only a handful focus on issues of racism and white supremacy. Visitors won’t find Roots, but they can buy several books that one would not expect to see, following Gravelle’s policy of excluding “non-Texas-history books.” They include a guide to birds in the state, a book of wildlife photo portraits, and a southern cookbook.
Correction, December 12, 2023: A prior version of this story reported Michelle Haas emailed a list of books that she objected to that were available for purchase at the Levi Jordan historical plantation to Texas Historical Commission Chairman John Nau III. She addressed the email to him and other commissioners, but did not include him as a direct recipient.
Update, December 12, 2023: This story has been updated to clarify Haas’s employment and to include more context on the 23 books she emailed the commission about, her thinking on why they might be inappropriate, and her suggestions for replacement titles that could be sold."
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Lt Col Charlie Brown Oh i Undestand the motivation, Whitewashing History. Downplaying the Evil of Slavery. Downplaying the Participation of Texas in that Evil.
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