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Trump, facing the wave of popular opposition to pretty much everything he’s doing, is working to block Democrats from voting in the midterms, and “election protection” has become a key part of the preparations underway from blue state attorneys general and from voting rights groups like the Brennan Center and the ACLU. Harold Meyerson explains.
Also: A large proportion of slaves who escaped from slavery in the South escaped not on foot, but by boat. Marcus Rediker tells their story – his new book is ”Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea.”
Plus: The Battle for Black History: On February 1, 1976 President Gerald Ford – a Republican – asked the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history” – commemorating the first Black History Month. Fifty years later, February 1, 2026, Trump sent workers with crowbars who pried off all 30 interpretive signs about slavery from the walls of the Presidents’ House in Philadelphia. The city sued and a federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore the displays about slavery, stating that Trump did not “have the power to erase or alter historical truths.” 2-20-2026
