Fort Raleigh NHS

At Fort Raleigh NHS, the administration has flagged books and publications sold in the park bookstore for review under Secretary's Order 3431. Among the titles targeted: FORA is not an option on drop down menu.. These works, selected by park staff and partner organizations for their educational value, are now under scrutiny.

Among the content targeted: “from fashion icon to cone of shame” — language that the administration has ordered revised under its directive to review historically accurate interpretive materials.

Why this matters: The specific language being targeted at Fort Raleigh NHS — including “from fashion icon to cone of shame” — is historically accurate content developed by professional historians and park staff. When this language is revised or removed, visitors lose access to the documented record of what happened here.

Fort Raleigh NHS in NC preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The interpretive materials at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.

Why this matters: Fort Raleigh NHS is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.

At Fort Raleigh NHS, the National Park Service has worked for years to document and interpret the history of slavery at this site — a history that was ignored for much of the park's existence. The exhibits, waysides, and publications now under review represent a hard-won commitment to telling the complete American story.

From the internal review records: “These are all the waysides and markers associated with the Freedom Trail at FORA (winner of regional Freeman Tilden Award in 2024). Please review for any potential disparaging language related to slavery and the successes and failures of the Freedman's Colony.”

Why this matters: The history of slavery at Fort Raleigh NHS was suppressed for generations. The materials now being targeted represent decades of work by historians, descendants of enslaved people, and community advocates to ensure these stories are finally told. Removing them would re-erase history that has only recently been acknowledged.

The history preserved at Fort Raleigh NHS reflects a pivotal chapter in the expansion of the United States — a chapter that involved conflict, displacement, and transformation. The interpretive materials now under review present this documented history as it happened, drawing on primary sources and scholarly consensus.

From the internal review records: “Overall, we feel the extent of the FORA VC exhibits are not disparaging to Americans, including colonials. There are some elements, when viewed independently, that some might feel are in violaton of the SO. All exhibits are attached. Please review the content related to the Freedmans' Colony and the English perspectives of the Algonquian culture.”

Why this matters: The history presented at Fort Raleigh NHS draws on primary sources, treaties, and documented events. These are not contested opinions but the factual record of how the United States expanded its borders. Visitors — especially students — deserve access to the complete story, including its difficult chapters.