Established by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is arguably one of the most important institutions in the U.S. It is a consortium of 21 museums, most situated around or near the National Mall, and includes the National Museum of Natural History, the National Zoo and the National Air and Space Museum to name a few. These museums hold records of past accomplishments that have shaped the U.S., as well as the history of the land that it now resides on.
President Donald Trump declared in an executive order on March 27 titled “Restoring Truth in American History” that the Smithsonian had been influenced by “a divisive, race-centered ideology” that changes history and brings national shame.
He is attacking, in particular, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Trump’s attacking of these groups is par for the course for him, as he is constantly disparaging these groups in his executive orders and speeches.
The mission of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is to “capture and share the unvarnished truth of African American history and culture” by connecting “stories, scholarship, art, and artifacts from the past … to illuminate the contributions, struggles, and triumphs that have shaped our nation.”
Trump’s claims that the Smithsonian is ruining American history are false and uphold the dangerous narrative that he has been spreading since he campaigned for his first presidential term.
This, along with Trump’s plans to dismantle the Department of Education, is only going to further lead us into a dystopian future — George Orwell’s “1984” comes to mind — in which the history of our nature that people are so proud of is going to be forgotten or changed entirely. All this to say, I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending.
rcassio@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of NPR.org
