Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Texas Commission Removes Books From Plantation Written By Slaves After White Woman Complains

Michelle Hass; Varner-Hogg Plantation
Texas History Trust/YouTube; Texas Historical Commission/YouTube

The Texas Historical Commission removed nearly two dozen books from gift shops of two former slave plantations after one White woman, Michelle Haas, complained.

The Texas Historical Commission removed nearly two dozen race-related books from two former slave plantations after a White woman, Michelle Haas, complained about their presence at the sites' gift shops.

While visiting the Varner-Hogg plantation last year, the amateur Texas historian became enraged over an informational video that, in her mind, focused too much on slavery and not enough on the owners of the sugar plantation.


In emails sent to commission board member David Gravelle, Haas also voiced her displeasure over books found in the gift shop at both Varner-Hogg and nearby Levi Jordan plantation.

Titles included those by Black academic historians Carol Anderson and Ibram X. Kendi, whose writings tackle the issue of systemic racism.

In an email to Gravelle in September of last year, Haas wrote:

“What a sh*tshow is this video."
"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.”

Haas has her own book, 200 Years a Fraud, in which she disputes Solomon Northup’s claims in his 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave, arguing that such books paint the South in a bad light as slavery was “a socially acceptable and economically worthwhile practice worldwide at the time our thirteen colonies arose.”

According to Texas Monthly, Haas continued emailing Gravelle for the next eight months insisting the books, along with many others written about and by slaves, be removed.

Eventually, Gravelle took the matter up with Historical Commission, requesting action.

White Rage by Anderson and Stamped From the Beginning by Kendi, along with 23 other titles Haas deemed inappropriate, are no longer available at the historic sites. Other titles removed include Roots by Alex Haley, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison as well as autobiography of a slave girl and a book of Texas slave narratives.

People online were floored by Haas' request for the books' removal, but even more shocked by the commission's action.

@_raviee/X











The commission claimed the removal of books about slavery was part of an "inventory reduction plan" to halt all purchasing, sell through inventory, and identify merchandise to be removed.

Interestingly, there are now 39 titles for sale, down from the 87 available in June.

All 23 of Haas' proposed removals are no longer available for purchase on either plantation's website.

More from Trending

Pedro Pascal
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Pedro Pascal Goes To Bat For Trans People Once Again At 'Fantastic Four' Premiere

When it comes to Pedro Pascal, we made the right person famous.

During the Berlin red carpet premiere of Pascal's latest film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pedro Pascal advocated once again for transgender people and transgender rights, citing their community as inspiring.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cal Raleigh
Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Yankees announcers react to player's NSFW nickname!

During a game against the Mariners on Tuesday night, Yankees fans found out why Seattle star Cal Raleigh is nicknamed “Big Dumper.”

The moment was caught on YES Network’s broadcast of the game in the sixth inning while Raleigh was on first base with the Yankees leading 10-3.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Joseph Boakai and Donald Trump
NBC News

Trump Dragged After Praising English Skills Of President Of Liberia—Where English Is The Official Language

President Donald Trump was called out after he praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s command of English—embarrassingly unaware that English is the official language of Liberia.

Boakai had been delivering a speech during a meeting with other African leaders at the White House on Wednesday in which he remarked that Liberia is "a long-time friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again."

Keep ReadingShow less
Alex Cooper singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
@MBDChicago/Twitter (X)

'Call Her Daddy' Host Alex Cooper Gets Brutally Booed At Wrigley Field After Painfully Off-Key Singing

If there's one thing that all baseball fans can come together about, it's the importance of their traditions—and songs.

In the seventh inning at Wrigley Field during a match between the Cubs and the Cardinals, popular Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper was invited to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and brought two backup dancers with her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Linda Yaccarino
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

X CEO Resigns Day After AI Chatbot Grok Praised Hitler In Alarming Series Of Antisemitic Tweets

Linda Yaccarino—the former NBC Universal executive who later took the reins at X—stepped down as CEO of billionaire Elon Musk's platform after two years on the job just a day after Grok, the platform's AI chatbot, went on antisemitic rants and openly praised Adolf Hitler.

Grok issued deeply antisemitic responses on Tuesday following a reported software update that encouraged the bot to embrace what developers described as the “politically incorrect.” Taking that directive to heart, Grok responded with a series of disturbing posts that included praise for Hitler and even a statement expressing its aspiration to become a “digital version” of the Nazi leader.

Keep ReadingShow less