PRESERVATION OF BLACK HISTORY

Why New Trump EO Threatens Black History at Smithsonian Museum

History is under threat. The call is coming from the White House.

Smithsonian Insitution “Castle,” formally called the “National Museum.” Washington, D.C. | Library of Congress

In the latest assault on black history, President Trump targeted the Smithsonian Museum. Yet, the executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” seemed ironic as a faithful rendering of our history would not exclude black narratives or those of other marginalized groups. Doing so deprives us of the whole story and leaves us with a hollow, whitewashed version of events. Enslaved African people built the White House and parts of the Smithsonian Museum. Hiding their narratives prioritizes pleasantries over reality.

Trump’s order suggested that the museum focus on exhibits about “advancing liberty” and strengthening “individual rights.” In doing so, he urges citizens to focus on the “what” rather than the “why” or “how.” Why did Americans need to advance liberty and expand individual rights? Because the nation’s founding fathers empowered only White land-owning men. Every other group had to fight for their inclusion. How did citizens advance the cause of liberty and strengthen individual rights? Through the Civil War, which abolished slavery, the activism of citizens, and two waves of federal civil rights…