NEW YORK – The Smithsonian Institution finds itself at the center of a controversy following President Donald Trump's executive order, entitled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The President asserts that the institution has fallen prey to a "divisive, race-centered ideology," a claim that has ignited a debate, with critics decrying the order as an attempt to sanitize American history.
Trump's directive is part of a broader initiative targeting cultural organizations, including the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which he accuses of being influenced by "woke" ideology. The Voice of America and PBS are also reportedly under scrutiny.
Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with implementing the executive order's policies, with a specific focus on ensuring that no funding supports "exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy."
Here's a closer look at the Smithsonian Institution and the ongoing developments surrounding it.
Boasting an annual budget exceeding $1 billion, the Smithsonian describes itself as the "world’s largest museum, education, and research complex."
The institution's origins trace back to the 19th century and the British scientist James Smithson, who bequeathed his estate to establish a Washington-based institution dedicated to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” In 1846, President James K. Polk signed legislation to formally establish the Smithsonian.
Today, the Smithsonian operates numerous cultural centers both in Washington and elsewhere, including the Air and Space Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Zoo, and the Smithsonian Gardens. Approximately 60% of its funding comes from the federal government, with the remainder sourced from "trust funds or non-federal funds, which include contributions from private sources.”
The executive order specifically cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture for allegedly stating that "hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and 'the nuclear family' are aspects of 'White culture,'” and criticizes a forthcoming exhibit at the American Women's History Museum highlighting trans athletes. An exhibit at the American Art Museum that suggests "race is not a biological reality but a social construct” was also mentioned.
In 2017, Trump toured the National Museum of African American History and Culture alongside then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Senator Tim Scott, and Alveda King. Lonnie Bunch, the Smithsonian Institution’s current secretary and founding director of NMAAHC, led the tour.
The museum features an exhibit celebrating Carson's accomplishments as a pediatric neurosurgeon, recognized as an inspiration to aspiring Black medical professionals.
Following his visit in 2017, Trump remarked, “I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum that honors the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture and the unbreakable American spirit. I know President (Barack) Obama was here for the museum's opening last fall. And I'm honored to be the second sitting president to visit this great museum.”
Reactions to Trump's executive order and its potential ramifications were largely negative among visitors to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Dorothy Wilson, visiting with her grandchildren, voiced concerns about the implications for future generations if they are denied access to accurate historical information.
“It really hurts generations because your history is who you are,” she stated.
Elizabeth Pagano, from New York, added, “The history of the United States, and the history of everybody that came through, is everybody's history. You can’t pick and choose your history.”
Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, issued a statement emphasizing that “Black history is U.S. history. Women's history is U.S. history. This country's history is ugly and beautiful. And each historic struggle for civil rights has advanced our movement toward a truly inclusive, multiracial democracy.”