🔥 Trump's Smithsonian Purge: How the White House Assault on Museums Threatens America's Historical Memory

Trump's executive order targeting the Smithsonian follows a pattern of authoritarian control over cultural institutions. Learn which exhibits are threatened and why this matters to all Americans.

Mar 28, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🇺🇸 President Trump just signed an order telling the Smithsonian museums to remove exhibits that talk about difficult parts of American history, especially those dealing with race and gender. 🏛️ The Smithsonian includes museums like the National Air and Space Museum 🛫 and the National Museum of Natural History 🌿 that millions of people visit each year. The order says these museums shouldn't show exhibits that might make people feel bad about America's past.

😕 Many historians and museum experts are worried because museums are supposed to tell the whole truth about history, even when parts of that truth are uncomfortable. 📜 When we don't learn about mistakes from the past, we might repeat them in the future. 🔄 People are finding ways to protect these important stories, even if they can't be told in museums right now. 🛡️

🗝️ Takeaways

🏛️ Trump's executive order targets Smithsonian exhibits that address racism, gender, and other aspects of social inequality, fundamentally threatening the institution's 175-year independence
📜 Specific targets include the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the upcoming Women's History Museum, and an exhibit on race and sculpture
🔄 This is part of a pattern of historical erasure that has particularly targeted marginalized communities' stories throughout American history
🧩 True national unity comes through acknowledging our complex past, not through enforced silence about historical injustices
🗽 Democratic societies depend on cultural institutions that can operate independently from political pressure
💪 Communities have always found ways to preserve their stories even when official channels are closed to them
✊ There are multiple ways to resist this assault, from supporting the Smithsonian directly to creating alternative spaces for historical truth-telling

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Trump's Assault on the Smithsonian: When Power Erases History

The Latest Attack on Our Collective Memory

Yesterday, while many Americans were focused on their weekend plans, President Donald Trump quietly signed an executive order that represents one of the most significant attacks on our cultural institutions in modern history.

The order, with the Orwellian title "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," directs the Smithsonian Institution—one of our nation's most treasured repositories of history and culture—to remove exhibits that allegedly "degrade shared American values" or promote what the administration calls "ideologies inconsistent with Federal law."

Dios mío, how quickly we return to the darkness.

For those unfamiliar with the Smithsonian, it's not just one museum but a collection of 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers, and a zoo. Established in 1846 with funds from British scientist James Smithson "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge, " the Smithsonian has operated with scholarly independence for 175 years and is dedicated to preserving and telling America's complex, multifaceted story.

Until now.

What Exactly Does This Order Do?

Trump's executive order, which places Vice President JD Vance in charge of implementation, specifically:

Bans federal funding for Smithsonian exhibits that "divide Americans by race" or depict American history in what the administration deems a negative light
Explicitly criticizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture for allegedly endorsing "ideological indoctrination"
Targets the upcoming American Women's History Museum for planning to include transgender women and nonbinary individuals
Singles out "The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture" exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as an example of "improper ideology"
Demands the restoration of Confederate monuments removed since 2020

Reading between the lines, what this order really seeks to do is silence the voices and erase the experiences of Black Americans, Indigenous peoples, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized communities whose stories don't align with the administration's preferred narrative of unwavering American greatness.

A Pattern of Historical Erasure

As an Indigenous person whose ancestors have lived on this continent since time immemorial, I am painfully familiar with how power operates through erasure. This executive order doesn't emerge from a vacuum—it's part of a deliberate strategy to control how Americans understand their past.

Since his first administration, Trump has waged war against what he calls "woke ideology" in education and culture:

In 2020, he established the "1776 Commission" to promote "patriotic education" in direct response to the New York Times' 1619 Project, which examined the foundational role of slavery in American history.
He has consistently attacked Critical Race Theory, which examines how racism is embedded in our laws and institutions.
His administration pushed to eliminate diversity training in federal agencies and government contractors.
During his 2024 campaign, he promised to "keep men out of women's sports" and dismantle DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives across the federal government.

This assault on the Smithsonian represents the fulfillment of those campaign promises—and signals a broader intention to control how Americans understand their collective past and present.

Why The Smithsonian Matters

Some might wonder why we should care about museum exhibits when so many pressing issues face our country. The answer is simple: whoever controls the narrative controls the future.

The Smithsonian isn't just a collection of dusty artifacts. It's one of our primary national storytellers, visited by nearly 30 million people annually. For many Americans, especially children, these museums provide their first and most formative encounters with history, science, and art.

When the federal government dictates which stories can be told and which must be silenced, it shapes how generations of Americans understand their country and their place within it.

Take the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in 2016 after more than 100 years of advocacy. This museum doesn't just tell the story of slavery and discrimination—though those painful truths are essential parts of our history—it also celebrates the incredible resilience, creativity, and contributions of Black Americans to every aspect of our national life. By targeting this museum, the administration seeks to control how Americans understand the Black experience and, by extension, how they understand racism itself.

Similarly, the upcoming American Women's History Museum has been in development for years. It is intended to highlight women's contributions that have often been overlooked in traditional historical accounts. The executive order's specific mention of its inclusion of transgender women reveals the administration's intention to enforce rigid gender boundaries even in our understanding of the past.

How This Impacts You

You might be thinking, "I don't visit the Smithsonian regularly. How does this affect me?"

This order impacts all Americans in several profound ways:

First, it sets a dangerous precedent for political interference in cultural and educational institutions. Today it's the Smithsonian—tomorrow it could be your local museum, library, or school curriculum.

Second, it deprives all of us—regardless of our political beliefs—of the full, complex story of America. Understanding our history, with all its triumphs and failures, makes us better citizens and better humans.

Third, for those who belong to marginalized communities, this order sends a chilling message: your stories, your experiences, your very existence is considered "divisive" and unworthy of inclusion in our national narrative.

Fourth, it represents a fundamental shift in how government approaches truth itself. When political power determines which historical facts can be acknowledged, we move closer to authoritarianism.

From an Indigenous Chicano Perspective

For Indigenous peoples and Chicanos, this latest attempt at historical erasure feels painfully familiar. Our communities have long experienced how dominant powers rewrite history to justify conquest and oppression.

When I think about Trump's order demanding the removal of exhibits that "depict American history negatively," I cannot help but reflect on how my own people's history has been sanitized in mainstream accounts. The genocide of Native peoples, the theft of land, the forced assimilation through boarding schools—these aren't "negative" depictions; they are historical realities that shaped millions of lives and continue to impact communities today.

No hay camino hacia la verdad que no pase por el dolor de recordar. There is no path to truth that doesn't pass through the pain of remembering.

As Indigenous people, we have always known that remembering is an act of resistance. When colonizers sought to destroy our languages, cultures, and histories, our elders became living archives, preserving knowledge through stories, songs, and ceremonies. Even when speaking our languages was forbidden, even when practicing our traditions was criminalized, we remembered.

As a nation, we face a similar challenge: Will we allow those in power to determine which parts of our collective past can be acknowledged? Or will we insist on the right to remember, to tell the whole, messy truth of who we have been so that we might better understand who we are and who we might become?

The Dangerous Myth of a "Unifying" History

Proponents of Trump's order claim they want a "unifying" historical narrative that doesn't "divide Americans by race." But this argument rests on a fundamental misunderstanding—or deliberate misrepresentation—of what unity requires.

True unity doesn't come from erasure. It doesn't come from pretending that slavery wasn't central to America's development, or that Indigenous peoples weren't systematically displaced and killed, or that women and LGBTQ+ individuals haven't faced discrimination enshrined in law.

True unity comes from acknowledgment, from creating space where all Americans can see their experiences reflected and validated in our national story. It comes from confronting our collective traumas and failures, not to wallow in guilt but to build a more just future.

By removing exhibits that examine racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression, Trump's order doesn't promote unity—it enforces silence. Silence has never healed a wound or reconciled divided people.

The Role of Public Institutions in a Democracy

At its core, this executive order raises fundamental questions about the purpose of public cultural institutions in a democracy.

Are museums meant to comfort the powerful with flattering narratives? Or are they meant to tell the truth, even when that truth is uncomfortable?

Are they meant to reinforce existing power structures? Or are they meant to democratize knowledge, making our collective heritage accessible to all?

Are they meant to present a single, authoritative account of the past? Or are they meant to engage with the multiplicity of experiences that constitute our national story?

The Smithsonian's mission statement declares its dedication to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." Not the increase and diffusion of patriotic sentiment. Not the increase and diffusion of national pride. Knowledge—which sometimes affirms our highest values and sometimes challenges our deepest assumptions.

By attempting to limit which knowledge can be diffused, Trump's order betrays the very purpose of the institution it targets.

A Historical Perspective on Cultural Control

Throughout history, authoritarian regimes have recognized the power of controlling cultural narratives. From book burnings in Nazi Germany to the destruction of artifacts during China's Cultural Revolution, controlling how people understand their past has been essential to controlling how they imagine their future.

While Trump's executive order doesn't burn books or destroy artifacts, it operates according to the same logic: those in power should determine which stories can be told.

This approach starkly contrasts democratic values, which recognize that a plurality of perspectives strengthens rather than weakens a society. In a healthy democracy, cultural institutions don't serve the ruling party's interests—they serve the public interest by facilitating engagement with the full complexity of our shared heritage.

The Particular Threat to Indigenous Narratives

For Indigenous communities, the threat posed by this executive order is particularly acute. Our histories have already been marginalized, our perspectives already sidelined in mainstream accounts of American development.

When Trump's order condemns exhibits that "depict American history negatively," it implicitly targets Indigenous perspectives on colonization, land theft, broken treaties, boarding schools, and other historical injustices. These aren't "negative" depictions—they're our lived experiences, supported by extensive historical documentation.

The National Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian, has been one of the few mainstream cultural spaces where Indigenous peoples have been able to tell our own stories. If exhibits that acknowledge historical injustices are deemed "divisive," what will remain of Indigenous representation in our national museums?

La verdad no es divisiva; es la negación de la verdad lo que nos divide. Truth isn't divisive; it's the denial of truth that divides us.

The Path Forward: Resistance and Hope

Despite the gravity of this assault on our cultural institutions, I remain hopeful. Why? Because throughout American history, attempts to silence marginalized voices have ultimately failed. The truth has a way of persisting, of finding new channels when old ones are blocked.

Here's what gives me hope:

The resilience of truth-tellers: Historians, curators, artists, and educators dedicated to telling inclusive, evidence-based stories about America won't be silenced by an executive order.
The power of community memory: Even when official institutions are compromised, communities maintain their own histories through oral traditions, community archives, alternative media, and grassroots cultural initiatives.
The shifting demographic reality: America is becoming more diverse, and younger generations increasingly demand fuller, more inclusive accounts of our collective past.
The digital preservation of knowledge: Digital archives, online exhibits, and social media make it harder than ever to completely erase perspectives from public discourse.
The legal challenges ahead: The Smithsonian's semi-independent status means this executive order will likely face significant legal challenges from civil rights organizations, museum associations, and academic institutions.

How You Can Get Involved

If you're concerned about this assault on our cultural institutions, here are concrete actions you can take:

Support the Smithsonian directly: Become a member, make a donation, or volunteer. Show that the public values these institutions and their mission.
Amplify diverse voices: Share work by historians, artists, and commentators from marginalized communities who are telling the stories Trump's order seeks to silence.
Engage with local cultural institutions: Museums, libraries, and historical societies in your community may face similar pressures. Show up for them, support them financially if possible, and speak out if they face political interference.
Contact your representatives: Let them know you oppose political interference in cultural institutions and support the Smithsonian's independence.
Create and share alternative historical narratives: Social media, blogs, podcasts, and community events all provide platforms for telling the stories that might be excluded from official spaces.
Educate yourself and others: Read books, watch documentaries, and attend lectures that explore the histories of marginalized communities in America.
Support organizations fighting historical erasure: Groups like the American Historical Association, the National Council on Public History, and community-based historical preservation efforts need our support.
Vote: Support candidates at all levels who demonstrate respect for historical truth and the independence of cultural institutions.

A Final Thought

As an Indigenous person, I come from people who have survived centuries of attempted erasure. Our stories, our languages, our very existence were targeted for elimination—yet here we are, still telling our truths, still fighting for recognition, still insisting on our place in the American story.

This gives me profound faith in the persistence of truth. No executive order, no political campaign, no temporary administration can permanently erase what has happened or silence those determined to remember.

La memoria es un acto de resistencia. Memory is an act of resistance.

And in this moment, remembering—fully, honestly, inclusively—is one of our most powerful forms of resistance.

What do you think? Is political control of cultural institutions a threat to democracy itself? And how do we balance presenting difficult historical truths with building a sense of shared national purpose?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.