Trump purge of Smithsonian exhibits got underway in April and included removal of Harriet Tubman's hymn book: report

Independent

a day ago

The Trump administration announced this week that it would begin reviewing current and former exhibitions at Smithsonian museums to ensure they align with president's agenda and perspective of history – a task which had already been underway and will likely expand purges of historical artifacts.
For months, the museum has been reviewing, and at times quietly removing, certain artifacts on display to comply with Trump's March executive order, aiming to 'restore truth and sanity to American history' by getting rid of 'divisive narratives that distort our shared history.'
The president has indicated some of those 'divisive narratives' include acknowledgment of transgender athletes and in-depth analysis of slavery.
On Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future. We are not going to allow this to happen.'
Having anticipated the administration would begin reviewing its museums, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is a Smithsonian Institution, appeared to begin changing its displays.
In April, the National Museum of African American History and Culture sparked controversy after it announced it would return several artifacts to their donors, including a Bible carried during a civil rights protest and Harriet Tubman's book of hymns, NBC News reported.
But the museum defended its decision-making, saying it was made independent of the White House, officials told news outlets. A spokesperson for the museum said at the time that they routinely return artifacts based on loan agreements or to rotate displays.
The Independent has asked the National Museum of African American History and Culture for comment.
However, Trump has publicly pulled federal funding from institutions that do not align with his policies and indicated he's not afraid to continue doing so to incentivize people to follow his orders.
Prominent universities such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins have seen millions of dollars in funding revoked for not aligning with the president's agenda. In his Tuesday Truth Social post, Trump said he has instructed his attorneys to adopt a similar 'process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made.'
'This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE,' he added.
Much of his ire toward institutions stems from his disdain for diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, which he has prohibited across the federal government.
As part of the administration's efforts to comply with the president's agenda, federal references to historically prominent Black Americans have been minimized, and references to white Americans, regardless of controversy, have been restored.
Trump has sought to restore Confederate names and monuments after many were taken down or destroyed during or in response to racial justice protests in 2020. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a series of military bases would be renamed after controversial Confederate soldiers or generals during the Civil War.
Even on government websites, inclusive language or references to certain American heroes have been scrubbed. Earlier this year, the National Park Service faced pushback for removing mentions of Tubman and the Underground Railroad on its website. Park Service leaders said the changes were unauthorized and subsequently restored mentions to Tubman.
While the administration said this week it would review eight Smithsonian museums, all eyes are on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is dedicated to highlighting and educating the public about African-American history and culture, and likely to be targeted.