Biden subtly criticizes GOP at Emmett Till memorial: ‘Don’t erase the past’

President Biden Stands Up Against‌ Book Bans ​and Honors Emmett Till

President Joe ‍Biden delivered​ a powerful message⁤ on Tuesday​ while announcing the designation of three sites as ⁢part of the new Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument. On the 82nd anniversary of Till’s birth, the president ⁣used the occasion to address attempts to “ban books” and criticized education ‍reform efforts ⁤led by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and others.

“At a time when there are those who seek to ban books, bury​ history, we’re‍ making it clear — crystal, crystal clear. While darkness⁢ and ⁣denial can‌ hide⁣ much, they erase nothing,” Biden ​stated. “We can’t just choose ​to learn what we want⁢ to know. We ​have to learn what⁤ we should know.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also highlighted the significance of Biden’s proclamation,⁢ considering the ongoing ‌efforts ‌to shape public school curricula in Republican-led states.

“Let’s not forget what​ we have seen these past several months as we ‌witness extreme officials in Florida and ‍across the country lie about American history,” she told reporters during Monday’s White House press briefing. “The most recent ‍example shamefully promotes a lie that ‌enslaved‍ people actually benefited from slavery.”

In the proclamation itself, ⁣Biden emphasized that Till’s “story” was shaped by the fight for civil rights. He recognized the three Till sites in Illinois ‍and Mississippi as places that hold historic significance and shed light on⁣ the ongoing injustice and inequality ⁢faced by Black people today.

“These places contain historic objects‌ that illuminate the⁤ complicated fabric of our Nation and the injustice and⁢ inequality that Black people continue to experience today,” the president⁤ said. “They are places where we can learn‌ about and reflect on the specific, painful events‌ that ended ‌Emmett Till’s life and the larger history of Black oppression, resistance, and resilience, ⁣which⁤ ultimately culminated in a movement that bent ⁤our Nation’s laws toward justice.”

Watch President Biden’s impactful remarks in⁢ full below.

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