Recent revelations by Texas Monthly have shed light on a contentious decision by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to remove books on slavery from plantation gift shops in the state. While the agency maintains that this move is unrelated to politics, internal emails suggest otherwise, leading to concerns about the erasure of critical historical narratives.

The controversy began when right-wing amateur historian Michelle Haas visited the Varner-Hogg plantation, located an hour south of Houston. She believed the informational video on the site was focused too heavily on slavery rather than celebrating the history of the Hogg family, who had converted the plantation into a museum. Haas also took issue with books by Black academic historians Carol Anderson and Ibram X. Kendi, which were available in the plantation’s gift shop.

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“What a s—show is this video,” Haas wrote in an email to THC board member David Gravelle on September 2nd, 2022. “Add to that the fact that the activist staff member doing the buying for the gift shop thinks Ibram X. Kendi and White Rage have a place at a historic site.”

Who is Michelle Haas and why is she challenging slavery books on Texas ex-plantations?

Haas, a graphic designer and founder of Copano Bay Press, has a history of critiquing narratives about slavery. She has even written a book, “200 Years a Fraud,” which challenges historical accounts and argues that many historical perspectives are overly harsh on the South, failing to acknowledge the social and economic context of slavery during the period of the thirteen colonies. Much of her contributions to the Texas Reader centre around railing against Critical Race Theory and “revisionist” academics.

In 2022, Haas launched the Texas History Trust, a ‘nonprofit advocacy organisation’ aimed at challenging what it describes as the “warping” of Texas history by various entities. Haas has been vocal in protesting what she terms as “woke ideology,” “neo-Marxist” influence, and critical race theory, despite the latter not being taught below the college level in Texas.

Internal emails reveal concerns

Internal emails obtained by Texas Monthly through an open-records request indicate that Haas’s concerns were taken seriously by Gravelle. He expressed concerns about how certain books presented Texas history and feared potential attention from state lawmakers regarding book availability at historical sites. These concerns were raised in February, well before the agency decided to transition to a new point-of-sale software system in March, which was cited as the reason for removing many books.

Over the next eight months, Haas persisted in sending emails to Gravelle, urging the removal of these books. In response, Gravelle, a Dallas-based marketing executive, championed this cause within the Historical Commission, mobilising agency staff to eliminate the titles that Haas found objectionable.

By the end of May, Gravelle’s recommendation to remove books became an official policy. THC staff developed an inventory reduction plan, which included the removal of “non-Texas-history books.” As per an internal spreadsheet from the Texas Historical Commission, the two plantation sites had a total of 87 titles available for purchase as of June 12th. However, by November 22th, that count had dwindled to 39, and notably, all 23 books from Haas’s list, along with “White Rage” and one book by Kendi, “Stamped From the Beginning,” were no longer on sale at either of the plantation sites.

As of November, only a few books addressing issues of racism and white supremacy remain available in the plantation gift shops. Notably absent are books like “Roots,” while books on unrelated topics such as bird guides and wildlife photo portraits have been retained.

Historians express concerns

Historians and academics have voiced their concerns about the removal of books on slavery from these historical sites. Michael Phillips, a historian writing a book on eugenics in Texas, expressed dismay, stating that eliminating books about racism at slave plantation sites is akin to conducting a tour of Auschwitz without mentioning antisemitism.

Florida history teacher Brandt Robinson also called for books to be returned to avoid ‘whitewashing’ of history He added: “We are not responsible for racial slavery but owe it to our children, all children, to learn its many lessons.” While American historian and Harvard law professor Annette Gordon-Reed said the move was “awful.”

A vocal minority

Haas’s involvement in shaping historical narratives and her vocal presence within the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) have not gone unnoticed. In July, Texas Monthly reported on her participation in TSHA events, including the 127th annual meeting held at the El Paso Convention Center in early March. During this convention, discussions surrounding the presentation of a balanced account of Texas history in educational literature took the stage. Should the association emphasise the heroics of Texans fighting for liberty from Mexico or provide a more critical examination of figures who sought to preserve slavery?

Within the TSHA, opinions diverged on the role of progressive historians, with some arguing that “woke ideology” had infiltrated the organisation. In recent years, the association’s official diversity statement adopted the title “Healing Through History.” The meeting began by acknowledging that “we are meeting on the Indigenous lands of Turtle Island, the ancestral name for what now is called North America,” in line with a February 2022 board resolution.

Haas, a history publisher known for her videos and articles with titles such as “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Marxists” and “Woke Education Ruins Texas Kids,” held a different perspective. She observed that TSHA’s annual meeting had shifted away from sessions focused on historical characters and places, lamenting that the public’s interest had waned due to what she perceived as overly niche and polarising topics.

Challenges to Haas’s motivations raise questions about historical narratives

Critics on Reddit have raised concerns about Haas’s qualifications, asserting that she lacks academic credentials in history or related fields. They also pointed out her association with a local press, where she appears to serve as the primary editor and one of the owners. A user then added: “As a result, I’m forced to conclude that at best she’s woefully unqualified, and at worst she wants to downplay the horrors of slavery out of her love of Texas. Either way, she’s not a reliable source.”

The removal of books on slavery from Texas plantation gift shops has ignited a debate about historical narratives, censorship, and the influence of political ideologies. While the THC maintains that the decision was unrelated to politics, internal emails suggest that concerns about political repercussions played a significant role in this move. Historians and scholars are left questioning the impact of erasing critical aspects of history from public view and the potential consequences of such actions on the understanding of Texas’s complex history.