Resistance Rangers Hold Juneteenth Teach-In at Harpers Ferry
"History cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story."
— U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley
Event Overview
Former National Park Service employees, organizing as "Resistance Rangers," held a public education event on Juneteenth 2026 at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia. The event responded to the removal of an African American history exhibit from the park following President Trump's 2025 executive order aimed at "restoring truth and sanity to American history."
The former rangers distributed banned materials and led discussions about the exhibit's content.
Background
Elizabeth Kerwin, a former park ranger and exhibit planner, had spent years developing an exhibit highlighting enslaved individuals with ties to Harpers Ferry. The exhibit was scheduled to open in summer 2026 but was halted by the administration. The building intended for the exhibit remains closed.
Trump's executive order directed federal agencies to remove exhibits that allegedly present a distorted narrative of U.S. history as "inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed." Following the order, dozens of exhibits were removed from national parks and historic sites, covering topics including:
- Black history
- Women's suffrage
- Civil rights
- Indigenous tribes
- Climate change
Legal Developments
A federal judge, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, ordered the Department of the Interior to cease further removals and reinstate removed materials. Kelley wrote that "history cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation's story."
The judge ordered 52 items reinstated at over 30 federal sites beginning June 22, 2026. It was unclear whether Kerwin's exhibit, which had not yet opened, would be included.
Responses
Former rangers stated they organized because of dissatisfaction with the pace of official action. Elizabeth Kerwin said the exhibit was intended to honor "the people who were overlooked and unnamed." She added that her teenage son, who is Black, was a motivation for her work.
Steven Mintz, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the teach-in resembled public education campaigns during the Vietnam War and described remembrance as "the most lasting form of reparations."