Trump’s Attack on the ‘Black Smithsonian’ and the Effort to Rewrite History
Former President Donald Trump’s new executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” has sparked backlash from historians, civil rights advocates, and Black political leaders. The order specifically targets the National Museum of African American History and Culture, accusing the Smithsonian of distorting America’s past.
While the order acknowledges the Founding Fathers’ declaration that “all men are created equal,” it ignores the reality that slavery was enshrined in the Constitution, counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for census purposes.
Trump claims institutions like the Smithsonian promote a “divisive, race-centered ideology” that paints America as “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
A Systematic Effort to Minimize Black History
Trump has given Vice President JD Vance authority to review federally funded programs, ensuring they do not “degrade shared American values.” Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will assess whether monuments removed since 2020 were taken down as part of what Trump calls a “false reconstruction of American history.”
This aligns with Trump’s broader effort to minimize Black history. From opposing the removal of Confederate monuments to banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, his administration has consistently sought to downplay systemic racism.
Historians warn this trend is alarming. “It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny slavery existed,” said Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor at Morehouse College. She added that such efforts also seek to erase segregation, Jim Crow laws, and racial violence.
The Danger of Selective History
Trump’s supporters argue his actions preserve national unity. But history that ignores slavery, segregation, and racial inequality isn’t history—it’s propaganda.
Ben Jealous, former NAACP president, explained why institutions like the African American museum are crucial. “Attempts to tell the general history of the country always omit too much,” he said. “These museums exist to tell the complete story.”
Attacks on Black Institutions and Representation
Trump’s efforts extend beyond museums. His administration has:
• Fired diversity officers across government.
• Cut funding for initiatives addressing racial disparities.
• Investigated colleges for considering race in admissions.
• Removed military training videos about the Tuskegee Airmen.
• Deleted an online biography of Jackie Robinson.
• Fired Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Historian Ibram X. Kendi sees this as an intentional strategy to weaken Black institutions. “That’s part of the plan,” Kendi said. “So that the only institutions telling America’s history are actually only telling political propaganda.”
Trump’s Shift on Black History
What makes this even more striking is that Trump himself once praised the African American museum. In 2017, Trump praised the African American museum after visiting with Sen. Tim Scott and HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum honoring the millions of African Americans who built our national heritage,” he said.
But since then, his stance has reversed. Now, he actively works to dismantle institutions that preserve Black history, using “anti-woke” rhetoric to justify erasing historical truths.
The Bigger Picture: Erasing History to Maintain Power
Trump’s efforts to reshape history align with his broader political strategy—justifying present inequalities by rewriting the past. His attack on Black history isn’t about truth but power.
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke put it bluntly: “We do not run from or erase our history simply because we don’t like it. We embrace the history of our country—the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
For those still unsure about Trump’s racial politics, this executive order makes it clear: It’s not just an attack on a museum—it’s an attack on the truth itself.
