WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will celebrate Black History Month at the White House on Thursday, preserving a tradition at the same time that President Donald Trump’s executive order ending the federal government’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs has disrupted its observance elsewhere.

Trump called Black Americans an "indispensable core of America" at the White House event and decried focusing on 1619, the year the first recorded enslaved Africans arrived on American soil, saying that focus should instead be placed on 1776, the year the U.S. declared its independence.

The White House has decided to acknowledge Black History Month, continuing the longstanding tradition. Notable Black celebrities will attend.