The Trump administration has expanded its crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies by issuing a directive to national park gift shops and bookstores, ordering them to remove merchandise deemed objectionable. The Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a memo last month, setting a December 19 deadline for concession stands and retail outlets to clear their shelves of items that conflict with the administration’s broader agenda to end what it labels “radical and divisive” ideologies.
The DOI memo, obtained by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), instructs National Park Service (NPS) staff to review all “retail items” that reference DEI, DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility), or “environmental justice” (EJ). These items, considered “public-facing content,” must be removed immediately if found to be non-compliant with Secretary’s Order 3416, which aims to ensure parks maintain “neutral spaces that serve all visitors.” Items at risk include books, T-shirts, keychains, and other souvenirs that highlight themes of social justice, civil rights, colonization, or environmental issues.
This move is part of a series of executive actions taken by the administration targeting DEI programs across the federal government. Conservation groups and park advocates have strongly criticized the order, calling it an act of censorship that undermines the National Park Service’s educational mission to preserve and interpret America’s natural and cultural history, including its complex legacy. Alan Spears, Senior Director for Cultural Resources at the NPCA, stated, “Banning history books from park stores… is not what national park visitors want.” Conservative organizations, conversely, have defended the order, arguing that taxpayer-funded spaces should not be used to advance what they view as divisive political viewpoints. Park staff, already dealing with shortages, are now tasked with the sensitive and challenging job of interpreting and enforcing the broad mandate in the short period allotted.
Sources and Links
- US national park gift shops ordered to purge merchandise promoting DEI – Associated Press
- National Park Service Forced To Take Gift Shop Ban To The Next Level In December – TheTravel
- Administration Orders Sham Review of Park Giftshops – National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)
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