Donald Trump celebrated Black History Month in part by encouraging icons to be added to the National Garden of American Heroes.
Tiger Woods and Donald Trump shared the podium at a White House press conference on Thursday.
The President, who signed an executive order at the end of his first term to establish the National Garden said statues would honor Black icons, including sports figures Kobe Bryant and Jackie Robinson.
Other Black honorees include Civil War hero Prince Estabrook; abolitionist Harriet Tubman; activist Rosa Parks; singers Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin; abolitionist Frederick Douglass and educator Booker T. Washington. Also included are Martin Luther King Jr., his wife Coretta, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Trump stated during the presser that “we’ve paid tribute to these heroes as well as so many others. But not just because they’re Black Heroes, but because they are American Heroes who inspire us all very much.”
“The previous administration tried to reduce the entire history of America to one year, 1619. But under our administration, we honor the essential role Black Americans played in the eternal cause of another date, 1776.”
Trump’s mention of Woods brought laughter after he said that all the people who were being honored by statues died.
“I was going to put Tiger in the garden but maybe you don’t want to be there,” he said while turning toward Woods. “I maybe should wait a little bit. I think I’m gonna wait about 50 years.”
Trump’s order stated that the National Garden would honor Americans of any race who “embodied the American spirit” of courage, confidence, and excellence.