ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump’s directive claims that the Smithsonian Institution fails to accurately portray American history, noting that the country’s Founding Fathers asserted that “all men are created equal.”
However, it omits the fact that the founders institutionalized slavery in the U.S. Constitution, designating enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for Census purposes.
Civil rights advocates, historians, and Black political figures strongly criticized Trump on Friday for his directive, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” They contend that this executive action aimed at the Smithsonian is the latest tactic by his administration to minimize the role of race, racism, and the contributions of Black Americans in shaping the nation’s narrative.
“We seem to be moving toward a narrative that suggests there is an effort to deny the existence of slavery or the occurrence of Jim Crow laws, segregation, and racial violence against Black communities, families, and individuals,” expressed historian Clarissa Myrick-Harris, who teaches at Morehouse College, a historically Black institution in Atlanta.
The executive order issued Thursday directly cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture, alleging that the Smithsonian is partaking in a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history.”
Rather than celebrating an “unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness,” the order contends that a “corrosive … divisive, race-centered ideology” has “reconstructed” the nation as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
It authorizes Vice President JD Vance to review all properties, programs, and presentations to prohibit anything that “undermines shared American values” or “divides Americans by race.”
Additionally, Trump instructed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to investigate whether any monuments removed or altered since January 2020 contribute to a “false reconstruction of American history” or “inappropriately downplay significant historical events or figures.” Trump has long opposed the removal of Confederate monuments, a movement that gained momentum following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
Critics argue that this directive is yet another tactic by the Trump administration to suppress acknowledgment of the contributions of Black Americans while glossing over the legal, political, social, and economic barriers they have encountered.
“This approach is a direct assault on Black America itself,” stated Ibram X. Kendi, a historian on race and bestselling author. He emphasized that the Black Smithsonian serves as “one of the heartbeats of Black America” and is also significant to the nation as a whole.
Yvette Clarke, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from New York, suggested that Trump aims to manipulate the national narrative for racist purposes.
“We do not shy away from or erase our history just because it’s uncomfortable,” she stated. “We accept our nation’s history – the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Trump once lauded the ‘Black Smithsonian’
The African American museum, one of 21 unique Smithsonian entities, opened on the National Mall in 2016, the final year of President Barack Obama’s tenure as the country’s first Black president. The museum documents chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and its enduring effects, while also celebrating the resilience, achievements, and contributions of individual Black Americans and institutions throughout U.S. history.
Ben Jealous, former NAACP President and current leader of the Sierra Club, stated that museums focusing on specific marginalized groups — enslaved individuals and their descendants, women, and Native Americans — are essential because historical narratives have often misrepresented or entirely overlooked these individuals.
“Efforts to present the country’s general history frequently exclude too much … and the existence of these museums allows us to more accurately convey the complete story of this nation,” he remarked.
Indeed, Trump seemed to echo Jealous’s sentiments during his 2017 visit to the African American museum at the beginning of his presidency, calling it a national treasure.
“I’m immensely proud that we have a museum honoring the millions of African American men and women who helped forge our national heritage, especially regarding faith, culture, and the indomitable American spirit,” Trump said after a tour attended by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and then-HUD Secretary Ben Carson, both of whom are Black.
“I know President Obama visited for the museum’s opening last fall,” Trump continued. “I’m honored to be the second sitting president to tour this great museum.”
Trump’s battle against ‘woke’ culture targets history
Trump secured his comeback bid for the White House with a notable increase in support from non-white voters, particularly among younger Black and Hispanic men.
During his campaign, he intensified his critique of what he termed “woke” culture and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, both in government and the private sector. He also used racist and sexist stereotypes in attacks on Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold national office, frequently accusing her and other liberals of “hating our country.”
Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has prohibited diversity programs across the federal government. His administration has initiated investigations into public and private colleges, claiming discrimination against white and Asian students through race-conscious admissions aimed at rectifying historical inequities for Black students.
At one point, the Defense Department temporarily removed training videos honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and an online biography of Jackie Robinson. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown, a proponent of racial diversity in the military who discussed his experiences as a Black man following George Floyd’s murder.
The administration has dismissed diversity officers across government, restricted certain agencies’ celebrations of Black History Month, and canceled grants and contracts for initiatives ranging from planting trees in underserved communities to researching achievement gaps in American schools.
Concerns about a chilling effect
Civil rights leaders and historians have voiced worries about a chilling effect on other institutions researching Black history.
Kendi observed that numerous museums and educational centers nationwide — like San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, and the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina — operate with little to no federal or governmental funding. Many already struggle to remain open.
“In my view, this is part of the strategy to starve these institutions of resources, resulting in a situation where only institutions propagating political narratives will be presenting America’s history,” Kendi stated.
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Associated Press reporters Aaron Morrison in New York and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
