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In Trump’s New Confederacy, Slavery Wasn’t Sin

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In Donald Trump’s America, they are no longer whispering their love for slavery; they are preaching it from the pulpit.

Published

12 months ago

October 22, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

In Donald Trump’s America, they are no longer whispering their love for slavery; they are preaching it from the pulpit. Far-right Christian nationalist Joshua Haymes, a self-anointed prophet of white supremacy, declared in a recent video that slavery “is not inherently evil,” demanding that every Christian “affirm and defend” the right to own another human being. His words vividly remind many of the crack of the overseer’s whip, the theology of the lash, and the perverted gospel that baptized centuries of Black pain in the name of God. Haymes, who hosts a podcast with Pastor Brooks Potteiger of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship near Nashville, is no internet outcast shouting into the void. The church aligns with Douglas Wilson, the father of modern Christian nationalism, and counts Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth among its members. This isn’t fringe, it’s the foundation of a rising white Christian theocracy that sees slavery as “biblically justified” and domination as divine will.

In his rant, Haymes insisted, “The institution of slavery is not inherently evil. It is not inherently evil to own another human being.” He demanded that “every Christian affirm what I just said,” claiming America’s Founding Fathers weren’t “living in grave sin” for enslaving people. He called it “chronological snobbery” to condemn them. That is how far they have sunk, defending the whip as righteousness, calling the chains holy. This ideology is not confined to Tennessee pews or online podcasts. It has a home in Washington, in the halls of power, where Trump and his disciples are rewriting history—literally—by government order. As previously reported, the Trump administration has directed the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Institution to remove exhibits that “disparage” America’s founders by mentioning slavery. They’ve ordered the deletion of a photo of a man’s scourged back. Yes, the scarred flesh of a freed Black man who endured the lash, because it made America “look bad.”

At Fort Pulaski in Georgia, the order came down to strip away the image that defined the brutality of the Civil War era. The image that showed what the Confederacy did to the human body has now been banned by the new Confederates in suits. Trump called the Smithsonian “OUT OF CONTROL” for “talking about how horrible slavery was,” and promised to send lawyers to “go through the museums” and cleanse the content. “This country cannot be WOKE,” he declared. Translation: America cannot be honest. At historic sites like the President’s House in Philadelphia, where George Washington enslaved nine men and women and rotated them out of state to avoid Pennsylvania’s gradual emancipation law, Trump’s order has demanded that panels describing those crimes be “reviewed” or removed. A panel describing Washington’s actions as “profoundly disturbing” has been flagged for revision. Another that said slavery “mocked the nation’s pretense to liberty” is on the chopping block. They want to make the father of the country look clean again by erasing the blood on his hands. “This is truth; it’s American history,” said retired Philadelphia attorney Michelle Flamer, who helped create the original exhibit. “There’s good and there’s bad, and it’s just like life itself.”

But Trump’s America wants only the “good.” A fantasy built on denial. The administration’s censorship is a campaign of amnesia, designed to blind a generation to the crimes that built this nation. Historian Michael Coard, who helped lead the effort to memorialize the enslaved at the President’s House, said, “If George Washington got all that attention, then we need to get some attention now.” Trump’s order calls this honesty “unpatriotic.” His followers call it “anti-American.” What it really turns out to be is fear. Fear of the truth, fear of the record, fear of the descendants of the enslaved demanding to be seen and heard. And this is not happening in isolation. Across the far-right ecosystem, white Christian nationalists are rising to defend the indefensible. Haymes and his co-conspirators are not simply talking about theology; they are providing moral cover for tyranny. They are laying the groundwork for a new Confederacy, one that cloaks its racism in scripture and its hatred in hymns. Even as the administration censors history, young Republicans in private Telegram chats have been caught calling Black people “monkeys” and “watermelon people,” joking about gas chambers, and celebrating rape and torture as political tactics. The Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair used the N-word repeatedly. Leaders of the New York State Young Republicans laughed about “epic rape” and fantasized about “physiological torture.” This is not political discourse; it is the language of fascism.

When the President of the United States orders museums to stop teaching the truth, when his followers call slavery “biblical,” and when young white conservatives talk about gas chambers like punchlines, it is not a coincidence. It is a movement, a coordinated, cultural counterrevolution against truth, equality, and the very notion of freedom for Black people. The evidence is clear that this government is engaged in historical sterilization. It is erasing the crimes of slavery, suppressing the truth of genocide, and criminalizing those who dare to remember. This is the same spirit that banned books in the Jim Crow South, that burned Black schools in the Reconstruction era, and that murdered truth-tellers from Mississippi to Minnesota.They want to make America forget so they can do it again. But history has a way of fighting back. The scars remain. The names remain. Oney Judge, Hercules, and the countless others who refused to stay in chains, even when the first president of this country was their master. Their stories are our inheritance, our resistance, our unbreakable testament. If Trump and his prophets of whiteness believe they can sanitize the past, they underestimate the people who live its consequences. They forget that truth has a pulse, and that it beats strongest in the descendants of the enslaved. As Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association said, “We can handle the truth.” And most believe America will. Because the truth is not Trump and his new Confederacy to rewrite. It was written in blood, and it will be remembered in fire.

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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61 years since Selma, Houston leaders say the bridge remains to be crossed

61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

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2 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

Houston leaders discuss the ongoing struggle for civil rights 61 years after Selma, emphasizing the need for continued action.

It has been 61 years since the Selma marches. But political leaders in Houston say that the issues protesters were marching for still plague the lives of Black Americans.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

2 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.