
Trump has reignited a cultural firestorm with a sweeping executive order aimed at reshaping the nation's most prominent museums, starting with the National Museum of African American History and Culture.The 2025 directive orders the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate what the administration calls “divisive” and “improper ideaological” programming, specifically naming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as culprits in What Trump describes as a “rewrite of American history.” Since its opening in 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), which has attracted millions of visitors, has been directly asked to promote the Trump-aggressive narrative that “distorts” about the establishment and evolution of the United States. “Our museums should unify Americans, not by race, gender, or political beliefs.” Under the order, Vice President JD Vance will oversee review of all content, exhibitions and plans throughout the agency. His work: rooting anything “degrading to share American values” or “things that are inconsistent with federal laws and policies.” The executive order affected the full scope of the Smithsonian 21 museums and the National Zoo, but it was the focus on African-American museums and elicited the strongest reaction. Trump’s directions will feature several exhibitions that promote racial divisions, especially those that address slavery, segregation, police brutality and systemic inequality. The move, Crisis says, is an incredible historical record that blatantly paints American history and destroys decades of work dedicated to the entire story of Black American experience. The order also calls for the removal or rework of the exhibitions related to DEI throughout the Smithsonian system, including in the upcoming Museum of Women’s History, which the government insists that the museum must “recognize men as women in any respect.” The government believes that elimination of these monuments is part of the “reconstruction of American history.” Trump repeatedly expressed disdain for the BLM and the social justice movement, which he saw as a cultural correction. Meanwhile, civil rights groups, educators and museum professionals across the country are calling for public resistance. “It’s about more than one museum, but whether we allow NAACP such as Univel Inderations the Intersional Muse.” Nowadays, African American history and culture may remain balanced.
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