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 legislation. The Reconstruction Era enshrined birthright citizenship and equal protection in federal law, while the Civil Rights Era prohibited racial discrimination. To deny the reality of the “why” and “how” misses the forest for the trees.
Like a sculptor with a chisel, Black Americans improved the character of this nation. Removing their narratives attempts to delegitimize their contributions.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is located in Washington, D.C., and is open year-round. Visitors can explore the “richness and diversity of the African American experience” and view exhibits that center on “what it means to their lives,” and “how it helped [to] shape this nation.” The Smithsonian also offers guests a digital experience with a searchable museum. This month, curators featured Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and civil rights leader. She founded the National Council of Negro Women and fought to expand opportunities. In 1939, Bethune shared a quote relevant to modern discourse: “We have fought for America with all her imperfections, not so much for what she is, but for what we know she can be.” Her quote succinctly conveys the unique experience of Black people living in America. While some citizens see the nation as perfect and worship it without question, for the most marginalized, hope replaces idolatry.
In 1965, civil rights leader Malcolm X expressed a similar sentiment, warning, “You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” Scholar Nikole Hannah-Jones also described this nuanced relationship in The 1619 Project: “Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written,” but “Black Americans have fought to make them true.” White people often assume that criticism of the nation is unpatriotic; yet, our history shows that they’ve attempted to refine this nation by fighting to expand civil rights protections and individual liberties. Like a sculptor with a chisel, Black Americans improved the character of this nation. Removing their narratives attempts to delegitimize their contributions. The Trump administration claims this new executive order is restoring “truth,” but censoring Black history brings us further from that goal.
Smithsonian curators preserving Black history is not a sign of ideology gone awry; rather, it reflects a commitment to telling the truth. Trump’s new order is like the pot calling the kettle black, as he accuses others of distorting the truth while removing historical facts. This nation once authorized the enslavement of African people, and in the end, some slave owners in Washington D.C. received reparations, while Black people received nothing. Subsequently, states enacted Black codes that sanctioned racial segregation and discrimination, a system that persisted until federal intervention in the 1960s. These are facts, regardless of how many feathers are ruffled by their presentation. How you feel about race-based slavery, segregation, and discrimination is up to you; however, this history occurred irrespective of anyone’s level of comfort or ideological framework.
The executive order in question accuses the Smithsonian of being “divisive,” all the while overlooking the source of contention. White people created the concept of race and divided Americans. Black people do not benefit from the erasure of their narratives, nor do other citizens, especially given the lasting legacy of racism. For instance, Black women are three to four times more likely to die of maternal mortality. Reports suggest many of these pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, but systemic racism limits their access to preventative care. Racial bias contributes to health care professionals overlooking the needs of Black pregnant patients. When we dismiss racism, we ignore how our system perpetuates racial disparities. Yet, that’s what this executive order is asking museum curators to do: ignore the role that race has and continues to play in the experiences of Black people.
In addition to attacking Black history, the order also condemned women’s history. It asserted that exhibits that “celebrate the achievements of women,” but not men, violated the law. Yet again, the administration focuses on the what, but neglects the why or how. We know that women could not vote until 1920 or open their own bank account without a man until 1974. Like Black people, women would not have needed to expand these rights if society had already granted them. Therefore, there’s a reason why a museum exhibit would center on their unique experience, and this is especially true for Black women who have endured both racism and sexism. Understanding why women had to advance their rights is essential. It offers a valuable snapshot for citizens to consider a path forward that advances liberty and the individual rights of all Americans.
The administration called for the Secretary of the Interior to consider removing public monuments, memorials, and statues to identify any perceived as rooted in ideology. The irony is that every political figure in our nation’s history has embraced various worldviews; there is no such thing as a neutral political figure. The Lincoln Memorial embodies our nation’s abolition of chattel slavery and the reunification of the states after the Civil War, which is why Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders spoke at this location. This version of America, capable of racial progress, held significant meaning. On the contrary, many Confederate statues that arose during the Jim Crow era carried racist connotations. They stood as an ominous reminder of those who divided the nation to preserve slavery. If the true goal is to give American citizens an honest rendering of history, we cannot remove black historical narratives. On the contrary, they should be preserved, so that future generations can learn from our past.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Dr. Allison Gaines' work on Medium.