US EditionTrump Says ‘Woke’ Smithsonian Overemphasizes Slavery, Urges Focus on America’s ‘Brightness’
President Trump ordered a review of Smithsonian museums to align exhibits with his view of history, focusing on American exceptionalism and aiming to remove divisive content, officials said.
- President Donald Trump criticized the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday for focusing too much on how bad slavery was and labeled it 'the last remaining segment of WOKE' in America.
- The criticism followed a letter last week from Trump aides to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III demanding a review aligning exhibits with presidential directives to remove partisan narratives and celebrate American exceptionalism.
- Founded in the 1840s with funds from James Smithson’s estate, the Smithsonian is overseen by a Board of Regents comprising 17 members. In June, the institution initiated its own review and emphasized its dedication to presenting history impartially amid criticism that it places too much focus on slavery.
- Civil rights attorney Ben Crump responded to Trump's criticism by asserting that presenting the realities of slavery in museums should not be considered excessively "woke," and that the real issue lies with those attempting to deny this part of history.
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett and others declared they will continue sharing true Black American history despite efforts to whitewash racial injustice, signaling ongoing cultural and political tensions.
93 Articles
93 Articles
There are no good parts to slavery. None.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com Patrick Rael is a professor of history at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He specializes in African-American history, the Civil War era, and the history of slavery and emancipation. Recently speaking of the renowned set of museums that adorn the National Mall in Washington…
Why Americans should know about horrors of slavery
As reluctant as we are to spill too much ink reacting to President Donald Trump’s culture war bombshells — like boobytraps carefully positioned on the political battlefield, they are clearly designed to lure enemies in, distract and frustrate them — one of the latest requires disarming. In a recent social media post, the current Oval Office occupant claimed that the Smithsonian Institution’s museums are too focused on “how bad slavery was” and “…
Donald Trump has chosen a new opponent – the museums of the country. With an angry post on his platform Truth Social, the US President accuses the Smithsonian Institution of showing the US in a too gloomy light. Now, his lawyers are supposed to bring the museums on line.
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