Oregon carves its own path in 2026's America 250 anniversary celebration * Oregon ArtsWatch

"President Donald Trump has made it clear he wants the 250 th anniversary of the founding of the United States to be a traditional patriotic celebration. He has signed executive orders and made numerous public statements intended to restrict the teaching of anything that might cast the history of the country in a negative or historically balanced light, including the forced dislocation of Indigenous peoples, the legacy of slavery, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and other well-documented examples of institutional discrimination."

""The history of seeking freedom in our state and in our nation has always been complicated and full of conflict, but it has also been full of courage and community," said Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society. "The 20/20 clarity that we have access to while looking at the past, especially through the eyes of people who have dedicated substantial time and labor to studying history, is a powerful tool for understanding our present and its many possibilities.""

President Donald Trump is pursuing a traditional patriotic 250th anniversary and has issued executive orders and public statements to limit teaching that portrays U.S. history negatively or in balanced terms. Targeted topics include Indigenous forced dislocation, slavery, Japanese American internment, and other institutional discrimination. Right-wing groups plan countercelebrations to reclaim history. Oregon nonprofit arts and culture organizations are organizing anniversary projects that confront historical and current divisions, including conversation series, live events, and podcasts. These organizations contend that teaching complex, critical histories—examined by historians—provides clarity for understanding the present and building community.

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