Activist and labor educator Noam Chomsky denounced what he described as the softening of the impact of slavery on U.S. history in footage posted on Tuesday by Democracy Now.

“It is a large part of the basis for our wealth and privilege,” Chomsky told host Amy Goodman. “Is there a slave museum in the United States? Actually, the first one is just being established now by private—some private donor. I mean, this is the core of our history, along with the extermination or expulsion of the native population, but it’s not part of our consciousness.”