After taking office last month, United States President Donald Trump has vocally opposed diversity initiatives and has prioritized dismantling numerous government DEI programs through executive actions. However, in a shocking twist, he has chosen to embrace America’s diversity and pay tribute to Black American icons in celebration of Black History Month.
On Thursday, Donald Trump revealed plans to enhance the National Garden of American Heroes by including statues of several legendary American sports figures in honor of Black History Month.
At a White House event marking Black History Month, Donald Trump disclosed that the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the late boxing icon Muhammad Ali, and the late civil rights trailblazer and Major League Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson will all be immortalized with statues in the garden, Fox News reports.
Muhammad Ali is a boxing legend, but he was also a significant figure in political and social activism, especially during the civil rights era. Kobe Bryant was among the most celebrated and successful basketball players ever, leveraging his influence for societal impact. Jackie Robinson shattered MLB’s color barrier as the league’s first Black athlete.
Outside of the star athletes, Trump also announced that Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Coretta Scott King, and Frederick Douglass will also be commemorated with statues.
Obviously, this is a rather shocking announcement from Trump given his rhetoric regarding diversity over the past month, and it led to a lot of reactions on social media.
“His version of Reparations,” one person wrote on X.
“I gotta be dreaming or something.. I thought this guy was racist from what some of the world says.. seems like a guy who is trying to acknowledge some of AA iconic figures imo.. when was the last POTUS to do that?” someone else wrote.
“That is honestly great,” another person added.
“A diverse garden honoring great Americans – let’s celebrate unity,” someone else wrote.
“Nice PR stunt,” another person added.
“But I thought he was a racist,” someone else quipped.
Situated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the National Garden of American Heroes aims to honor heroes from diverse backgrounds through statues, busts, and plaques that recognize their contributions to the nation.
With these additions, the Garden will reflect a broader spectrum of diversity than it did previously.
