from the series Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
Number 234 in a Series
By SUE HUNTER WEIR
On Monday, May 26th, at 10 a.m. people will gather at Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery to honor those who have fought for our freedom. It is a tradition that dates back to 1868, when General John A. Logan issued an order to set aside a day for “preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion.” It is a day for remembering and for telling stories.
And stories are important. Stories remind us of what we have in common and ways in which our life experiences differ. They shape how we think about ourselves and about our nation.
The current Administration recognizes their power. On March 27, 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. He argued that recent work by historians is a “widespread effort to rewrite history [that] deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame.” He criticized venerable institutions like the Smithsonian Institution which have worked hard to acknowledge the contributions of many who have been left out of our country’s history in the past.
Governmental departments rushed to scrub the stories of anyone who did not fit his narrative from their websites. There were many, but most notably people like baseball legend Jackie Robinson and William Carney, the first Black soldier to receive the National Medal of Honor. The Tuskegee Airmen were gone, as were the Navajo Code Talkers. The most recent erasure was the story of Harriet Tubman, whose name is synonymous with the Underground Railroad.
The good news is that it didn’t work. After public outcry their stories have been restored. It took only one day for Harriet Tubman’s story to be reinstated. It was removed on April 8th and was restored on April 9th.
This executive order came at an important time in the Cemetery’s long history. Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers was recently added to the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. It is only the second site in Minnesota to receive this honor, something that we are very proud of.
There are so many stories that make up our history, and not all of them point to what Trump’s order described as a “paralleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness.” All legacies are not the same. Some people were left behind and their stories were left out. Telling their stories is not shameful. We cannot fix something that we refuse to acknowledge was broken. There is room in history for everyone’s story. Along with stories of great accomplishments and triumphs, there are others that may make us uncomfortable, as well they should. Instead of being divisive, these stories have the power to create empathy and understanding and are a place for healing to begin.
So where do we go from here? Be vigilant. When something is wrong, say so. And when something is right, say so. Support museums, libraries, the arts, a free press, anything that moves us forward. Tell your own story.
Salman Rushdie, who was almost killed for insisting on telling his stories, had this to say: “Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives, the power to retell it, rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless.” We are not powerless.
Please join us on May 26th and June 7th to share stories and reflect on our shared past.
Upcoming events:
Monday, May 26th at 10 a.m.: A traditional Memorial Day program
Saturday, June 7th: The dedication of the Cemetery’s listing on the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Saturday, June 21st at 2:00 p.m.: Jazz and Poetry in the Cemetery
All are free and everyone is welcome.
