As someone who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2021, I continue to be amazed by all the ways the school exists in a radical left-wing bubble. The administrators’ actions continue to disappoint and, arguably, embarrass the institution. Consider events from just the last few years.
First was the controversy surrounding the trans swimmer. This was the enormous national story I broke of my former classmate, then-William “Lia” Thomas, a man competing against women in collegiate swimming. Next were the events surrounding the tenure of former Penn President Liz Magill. Now comes the discovery that the Ivy League university does not recognize Presidents Day as a holiday, but it does recognize Juneteenth. It’s yet another sign of the Ivy League’s turn away from patriotic, American values.
Sadly, this snub reflects the times and trend of anti-Americanism that plagues the country. Combined with a lack of patriotism, these toxic ideals are largely predicated on the sociocultural phenomenon of devaluing, delegitimizing, and discrediting America’s historical figures, especially the historical figures who were white men. Under the guise of diversity, DEI Democratic extremists have ushered in an era that prioritizes race and skin color over the nation’s history and legacy. The University of Pennsylvania is a willing accomplice in advancing this cultural decay.
Stemming from the neo-Marxist and contemporary Bolshevism ideologies rooted in contemporary left-wing politics, it’s become unacceptable to honor America’s Founding Fathers. Instead, DEI Democratic extremists have fostered a culture of hate and division built on vilifying the nation’s history instead of celebrating it. As DEI Democratic extremists advance the Howard Zinn model of American history, the country has suffered a silent cultural revolution. Gone are holidays such as Presidents Day; here are holidays such as Juneteenth.
However, they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Juneteenth is a holiday worth celebrating, just like Presidents Day. A holiday commemorating the freedom of people after a brutal Civil War that resulted in the liberation of slaves is a good thing. It reflects our country’s dedication to achieving its founding principle of equality.
This shows what DEI Democrats, at UPenn and nationwide, are really about: exclusion and subtraction. Instead of adding to our traditions, they radicalized it by removing Presidents Day. One of the main points of contention with the day is that it should be when slavery officially ended, with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865 — six months after the date for which Juneteenth was recognized.
Moreover, there is legitimate resentment that Juneteenth seemed to stem not from a genuine, valued, historical legacy but instead from the aftermath of the George Floyd chaos. These two are mutually exclusive, as one had nothing to do with the other. Floyd was a career criminal who died in police custody. He was not a civil rights icon; he had nothing to do with slavery or freeing slaves; he had nothing to do with racism or racial discrimination.
DEI Democratic indoctrination and propaganda in a time of chaos was responsible for Juneteenth’s renaissance. It was thrust upon society as an angry demand to a country held hostage by DEI Democrats instead of a celebration of a historic feat. And Penn, in all its infinite genuflecting to political left-wing ideals, complied. These ideologues preach inclusion but do things like remove and exclude Presidents Day.
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However, common sense dictates the two days should coexist on the calendar. This is especially true at the University of Pennsylvania, an institution of higher education that is in Philadelphia, the city where George Washington was the presiding officer for the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and lived for the majority of his time as the nation’s first president.
Furthermore, given Penn’s fondness and dedication to Juneteenth, there would not even be a Juneteenth without Abraham Lincoln, the other president originally honored on Presidents Day and a man who sacrificed his life to end slavery. This, above all things, should serve as a stark reminder and clear motivation to reinstate the holiday on the school’s calendar. Furthermore, it should also be why Presidents Day should be restored to its former glory. We should not surrender and comply with the whimsical demands of the DEI Democrats’ efforts to revise history and reshape the nation’s culture.